California drivers may soon feel an even tighter squeeze at the gas pump, as state regulators continue to push costly climate policies, which critics warn could drive gas prices up dramatically. On Friday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) — whose members were appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom and the state’s Democrat-controlled legislature — approved new, stricter Low Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS) designed to reduce the state’s emissions, ultimately aiming for carbon neutrality by 2045. But the cost of that green goal? Potentially sky-high fuel prices for the everyday Californian.
While CARB Chair Liane Randolph insists that the policy “strikes a balance” between reducing environmental impacts and maintaining low-carbon fuel options, many residents and conservative lawmakers aren’t buying it. For them, the so-called “balance” looks more like yet another sacrifice Californians will have to make to satisfy the state’s aggressive climate ambitions.
Republican state lawmakers, already concerned about the financial strain many Californians are under, raised serious objections before the vote. Assemblyman Tom Lackey warned CARB of the severe financial burden that could result from these policies. “Our finances are stretched very thin. Many of us are already charging basic necessities on our credit cards,” he told the board, urging them to consider alternatives. “Please don’t drive us into bankruptcy.”
According to a report covered by *Fox Business*, an independent analysis suggested that the approved updates could hike up gas prices by a staggering 47 cents per gallon. Meanwhile, California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has estimated an increase of up to 20 cents per gallon, and Lackey cautioned that the impact could be as much as 65 cents more per gallon. For a state already paying some of the highest gas prices in the nation, this would be a heavy blow to households already struggling with inflation and high living costs.
CARB, however, tried to downplay concerns, with a spokesperson explaining that the policy updates do not directly impose a surcharge on fuel. Instead, the impact will depend on how fuel providers handle the increased costs of compliance with these stricter standards. “We are not aware of an economic model that allows us to predict with any certainty what fuel prices will be,” CARB claimed, adding that over the next two decades, these amendments would actually *save* Californians more than 40% on fuel costs. But for many critics, these savings feel more like a far-off promise than a practical reality in the face of immediate cost increases.
Governor Newsom and CARB have championed the new policy as a path toward a “zero-emissions future,” pointing to benefits such as cleaner air and a decrease in health impacts tied to pollution. But for many Californians, especially working families, the idea of paying more at the pump to fund lofty environmental goals rings hollow. The impact will likely be felt hardest by rural and low-income residents who depend on their cars for work and have no choice but to pay whatever it costs to fill up their tanks.
Republicans argue that California’s ambitious climate goals have created a “green tax” on residents, squeezing out hardworking families in the name of environmental virtue-signaling. From Governor Newsom’s electric vehicle mandates to increased gas taxes, many feel the state has prioritized an agenda that only deepens the financial divide, rewarding those who can afford to “go green” while punishing those who cannot.
While CARB celebrates its climate victory, countless California drivers are left wondering just how high gas prices will climb in the state’s pursuit of carbon neutrality. For many, the promise of a greener future feels overshadowed by the very real economic pain they feel every time they pull up to the pump.
