what BS reason is there for the latest gas gouging? (transporting, buying)

[Think4Yourself]

Originally Posted by HoustonProfessional

I feel it necessary to point out that California has vast oil reserves in shallow offshore waters which could easily be drilled to bring cheap oil directly to California gas stations.

Your car doesn't run on crude oil so you'd still have the bottle neck problem of one of the largest refineries on the west coast partially burning down.

[Clevelandgal]

Originally Posted by HoustonProfessional

No complaining then.

I'm complaining that we are overly dependent on one resource

[oddstray]

Even taking into account all the refinery woes, that increase seems out-of-line. I suspect it's greedy investors using the refinery issues as an excuse to make more bucks for themselves. As usual.

[futbol]

If it's still like this next week then I'll be biking to work.

[ShelbyGirl1]

Californians insist on their "Boutique Gas"...they want all the special additives that they think is helping the Environment. When things go hay-wire with the 4 big refineries here in the State that make that gas exclusively, we get to have the extreme pleasure of paying even higher for it. Special needs = Higher prices.

[YellowHorse]

Originally Posted by 5thgenSF

there's a news video on msn's home page about it. it was also related to the richmond refinery. i paid $3.99 here in oregon today so you guys aren't THAT much higher!

Breaking News & Top Stories - World News, US & Local | NBC News

That is what the price of Regular Gasoline was in my town about 4-5 days ago! it's gone up 40 cents in just a few days and it's no where near done going up in price according the the owner of the fuel station!

[AADAD]

"....There's a battle outside and it's raging. You'd better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone cause the times they are a changing..."

$4.49 for 89 octane in Sable Springs today.

[moved]

$5.59 - Qwik Corner @ El Cajon & Fairmount

This is from Gas Buddy.

[HoustonProfessional]

Originally Posted by Clevelandgal

I'm complaining that we are overly dependent on one resource

But the point of the thread is high energy costs.

Alternative energy does not drive down the cost of fuel. In fact, it increases the cost of fuel. Federal ethanol requirements increase the cost of a gallon of gasoline.

Additionally, solar and wind energy require large new transmission networks and very expensive energy farms and require people to buy more expensive electric vehicles.

Alternative fuel does nothing to address the high cost. Opening up the supply does drive down costs.

Additionally, California uses regulations to prevent new refineries from being built so you are at the mercy of decades old refineries in order to get your supply, not to mention the bottleneck created by the lack of refineries.

Please do not complain about price gouging when your state is doing everything it can to kill the very competition that drives down prices.

[RedJacket]

Like our infrastructure, refineries need a serious overhauling, but that's not likely to happen unless the US invades itself, destroys everything, and then rebuilds it.