Energy

Energy and utility watchdog coverage — gas prices, oil-industry profits, utility rates, and clean-energy accountability.

Gas Prices Flatten, But Group Says Oil Companies Gouge Drivers

May 5, 2015 · Mark Reback

Gasoline prices in the Bay Area have flattened out after a recent price spike that prompted a consumer group to claim Tuesday that oil companies in California have taken advantage of the fuel markets to gouge consumers.

How Oil Refiners’ Profits Are Surging With Gas Price Spikes

May 5, 2015 · Mark Reback

A new report from<a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Consumer Watchdog</a> confirms what Southland motorists have long suspected — oil refiners are drawing deep profits from gasoline price spikes.

California Gasoline Imports Set To Rise, Experts Say

May 5, 2015 · Mark Reback

May 5 (Reuters) - Shipments of gasoline that meets California's strict environmental standards are expected to rise in the coming weeks thanks to the start of summer driving season and ongoing repairs at a key refinery, experts said on Tuesday. The state is currently importing more than 40,000 barrels per day of gasoline by tanker vessel from other states and countries, said David Hackett, president of oil logistic company Stillwater Associates.

California Gas Prices Jump 31 Cents In 1 Week On Refinery Woes

May 4, 2015 · Mark Reback

California’s gasoline prices jumped 31 cents in the last week, pushed higher by rising crude oil costs and problems at several state refineries. It’s the second time this year that California drivers have faced such a steep price spike. And it has some oil-company critics livid at a state gasoline market they say is designed to fail.

Most Of Gas Price Surge Likely Due To Gouging

April 28, 2015 · Mark Reback

There is absolutely no doubt about a few facts surrounding the gasoline price surge Californians experienced in late winter and early spring. In March, California prices averaged 84 cents per gallon higher than the national average of $2.54 per gallon, rising to $3.38 after a wintertime dip.

Op-Ed Commentary: Big Oil Has Lots Of Explaining To Do On Gasoline Price Spikes

April 19, 2015 · Mark Reback

<div id="content-body-713359-18816618"> To death and taxes, add one more certainty: Big Oil will always triumph at the expense of our families unless California starts standing up to oil companies by refusing to tolerate a system rigged in their favor. In February, when two refineries were mismanaged and went offline, gas prices spiked – forcing California drivers to pay nearly $1 more a gallon than motorists elsewhere. The price gap with the average for other states is still 70 cents.

What’s Behind California’s Big Gas-Price Gap?

April 10, 2015 · Mark Reback

Motorist paid nearly $1 per gallon more than national average in March, CEC Says <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item even"> SAN FRANCISCO – March was an expensive month for motorists in California. According to the California Energy Commission (CEC), the state’s energy policy and planning agency, retail gasoline prices averaged 90 cents more per gallon (CPG) than the national average in March.

Santa Monica Consumer Group Blames Refineries for Pump Price Spikes

April 1, 2015 · Mark Reback

While crude oil prices stayed low, prices at the pump for California drivers shot up $1 in February, and motorists in the Golden State continue to be squeezed by price spikes while refineries reap big profits, a Santa Monica consumer advocacy group said last week.

California Activists Call For Oil Company Subpoenas

April 1, 2015 · Mark Reback

(Reuters) - Billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer and the head of a consumer watchdog group on Tuesday said California state lawmakers should subpoena oil industry executives if they fail to answer questions about February's gasoline price spike. The call comes after oil executives were absent from a March 24 state Senate hearing in Sacramento examining the dollar-a-gallon price spike that hit motorists in February.

Why Gas Prices In California Are So Much Higher Than Elsewhere In U.S.

April 1, 2015 · Mark Reback

<img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-11037" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/images_la-fi-g-california-gas-prices-20150331.png" style="width: 550px; height: 309px; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="550" height="309" />Californians are used to gyrating gas prices, but the latest swing from the lowest in years to nearly a dollar above the national average is leaving drivers in a tizzy.

Tom Steyer Wants ‘Answers’ for California Gas Price Spike

March 30, 2015 · Mark Reback

<div id="content-body-713359-16955615"> When California lawmakers met last week to begin asking questions about the recent rise in gasoline prices, Tom Steyer took notice. Steyer, the billionaire environmental activist and Democratic mega-donor, signed his name to a letter Monday sharing his appreciation for the Senate’s preliminary probe into why gas prices rose by more than $1 a gallon in early March.

State Lawmakers Probe Surge In Gasoline Prices

March 25, 2015 · Mark Reback

State senators investigating a recent surge in California pump prices at a Tuesday hearing grappled with price-fixing accusations and pressure to shift to alternative fuels. Members of the transportation, housing and energy, utilities and communications committees questioned why retail gasoline prices in California rocketed past prices in the rest of the country last month and are only gradually floating back down.