Overview
- California’s statewide average fell to $5.73 for regular gasoline, the first decline in 13 weeks, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
- Los Angeles County prices averaged about $5.985 per gallon after six straight daily declines, extending a modest easing in local pump costs.
- GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan warned the pullback may reverse as threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz raise the chance of new supply disruptions.
- California drivers still pay far more than the U.S. average of about $4.12 because of high state taxes, a carbon program that adds costs, and a special low‑emission fuel blend that only limited refineries can make.
- Two major refinery closures over the past year erased roughly 20% of in‑state capacity, and a Newsom‑ordered review found no evidence of price gouging, pointing attention to structural limits on supply.