The New Reason For Pain at the Pump

Tech Central Station ^ | 03/19/2004 | Ben Lieberman

[Carry_Okie]

The California gasoline market in a word is too friggin small to make it inconveniently economically difficult to partake of predatory practices.

That's not exactly how it works.

The EPA sets the air quality standards as well as broad guidelines (such as approved gasoline formulations) for how those standards can be met. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is in charge of dictating the formulation we use. CARB makes sure the specs are designed to be wildly different than the rest of the country (it's a political payoff). The owners (major stockholders) of those energy interests use their foundations to fund NGOs (principally the Natural Resources Defense Council) and pose as econuts to foist the regulations that most benefit their interests. The econuts make sure that building new capacity is difficult. That helps manintain the shortage. That makes the owners very happy.

NRDC was instrumental in the adoption of MTBE at every level of implementation (both State and Federal). If you are interested in more detail, please consider this post.

[GailA]

He forgot to include the TAXES both state and federal. TN state tax is 21 cents per gal.

[o_zarkman44]

I recall 35 years ago we were having the same debate about gasoline prices. The price then was in the 60 cent a gallon range. Fuel mileage efficiency was about half of what it is now.

The main problem continues. Imported oil. OPEC is still manipulating the price of oil. The cost of propping up and defending unstable oil suppliers has not even been figured into the cost of importation.

The secondary problem also continues. Environmental regulations. While there has been significant benefits from some formulas of gasoline and removal of lead, uneven standards for gasoline formulation by region have limited supplies available to other regions. Also closing ANWAR from exploration and drilling has only promoted importation of oil from unstable nations.

35 years and the same problems still exist. The people are at fault for not pressing our government into acting on stabilizing an unstable supply of oil.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!