
California Gas Costs More: Rules, Taxes, and Isolation Lift the Pump Price
Gas prices spiked nationwide in March, but California’s average is far higher due to a state-mandated, cleaner-burning fuel blend that costs more to produce and is not easily importable; combined with high taxes, the Cap-and-Invest/Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and a fuel-island market with refinery closures, these factors push California prices well above the national average (about $5.53/gal in mid-March vs roughly $3.79 nationally).


