California just hit a new all-time record high for the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline, and some local gas stations around SoCal are charging even more.
At one gas station in the Mid Wilshire district, on Monday, a gallon of regular unleaded is $5.99, while a gallon of premium gas is $6.59.
California's gas prices are higher, on average, than any other state: the national price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is $3.41.
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According to AAA, the statewide average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is $4.68 in California as of Monday.
Other regions around SoCal were slightly cheaper than the average California price, but not by much:
- In the Long Beach/Los Angeles area, the average price for one gallon of regular gas is $4.67,
- in Orange County, the average price for one gallon of regular gas is $4.63,
- in San Bernardino County, the average price is $4.61, and
- in Riverside County, the average price is $4.59.
The national average price is high, but state-by-state, CNBC reported that there's a wide range: toward the end of October, the lowest average price was in Oklahoma, at $2.98 per gallon. That's compared to California's average price at the same time, $4.51 per gallon.
Regional access to oil refineries, along with other factors, plays a part in the disparities.
The spike in prices is being blamed in part on the rising cost of crude oil, as well as unplanned refinery maintenance and refinery shutdowns. Production issues after heavy rainfall in northern California in late October also played a role.
Some lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to tap emergency petroleum reserves, but that has not yet occurred.
"We have got to reduce the price of gas in California," Rep. Karen Bass said during a CNN interview with Jake Tapper.
