Throwing more regulations at oil companies won’t curb our gas prices
#Gas prices #Oil companies #Regulations #Energy policy #Fuel costs #Consumer prices #Market factors
📌 Key Takeaways
- Imposing stricter regulations on oil companies will not effectively lower gas prices.
- The article argues that regulatory measures are not the solution to high fuel costs.
- Policymakers should consider alternative strategies beyond increased corporate oversight.
- Gas prices are influenced by broader market dynamics rather than simple regulatory actions.
📖 Full Retelling
'Throwing more money and regulations at a new independent state government division will only make those processes murkier, even less likely to create ways to curb gas prices,' writes an L.A. Times reader.
🏷️ Themes
Energy Policy, Gas Prices, Regulation
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Original Source
March 5, 2026 7 AM PT 2 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . Stricter environmental regulations since 1986 have reduced California’s oil production and refinery capacity, critics contend, driving up state gas prices. California’s refineries have fallen from over 40 to nine, with only 23.3% of refined oil now sourced domestically. Imposing additional regulations won’t lower gas prices; opponents argue it will only worsen California’s already expensive energy-sector competitiveness. p]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix mb-10 md:max-w-170 md:mx-auto" data-subscriber-content> To the editor : Haven’t we all been looking for ways to curb gas prices ( “How to bring down gas prices in California (Hint: Pumping oil won’t help),” March 3)? That was my high hope reading this op-ed. But after a couple of explanatory paragraphs, the professor’s expertise devolved to the same tired environmentalist politics: Don’t try to fix what is broken, just drive electric cars, blame the oil companies and let the lawmakers fix it. Our state sits on some of the world’s largest oil reserves, but as guest contributor Paasha Mahdavi points out, production has decreased since 1986. Isn’t that about when the environmental lobby took control of the state Legislature? Mahdavi criticizes increasing local drilling as a way to increase supply; common sense doesn’t agree. The California Energy Commission reported for 2024 that 23.3% of oil refined to gasoline came from in-state sources, 13.3% from Alaska and 63.5% from foreign sources. California now has just nine refineries , down from the days when we had more than 40 (back when we had competition-based pricing). Mahdavi ignores the reasons for that decrease, which are well-known if the CEOs of departed oil companies are to be be...
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