I don't think the notional 'pilot program' is the 'same' as Biden's 2021 "Infrastructure Bill." 9 cents a mile? And, the California program would be a supplemental one, not an alternative just for EV drivers, aimed directly at rural/suburban drivers:

Quote:

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"This disproportionately hits rural residents and long-distance commuters," Republican lawmaker Alexandra Macedo said. "This favors wealthy EV drivers over everyday Californians. We already pay the highest gas tax in the U.S. We shouldn't be adding a mileage tax on top of it."
Bruce Lou, a delegate for the San Francisco and state Republican Party, was among those blasting the proposal online.
"This per-mile tax would be on top of the highest gas taxes in the country," Lou wrote on X. "Citizens shouldn't be treated like ATMs."
Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) delivered a blistering critique of AB 1421 in comments on the Assembly floor Thursday.
"When you add up the car tax, the gas tax, and this new mileage tax, a working family with two cars and two parents driving could be forced to pay $4,200 a year to the state of California just for the privilege of driving on crappy roads," DeMaio said. "What are we thinking here?"
Wilson has dismissed the backlash as partisan and defended the bill, arguing it "responds to a reality that we can no longer ignore."

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I've heard first-hand complaints about their registration/licensing fees, which are also pretty outlandish.

Yeah, I think we are saying the same thing. This California plan is in addition to the federal plan that has yet to be implemented.

I remember way back when, Al Gore(Kerry?) championed extremely high fuel prices where we the peasants wouldn't be able to afford to drive anymore, to save the planet. Of course they would still get around in limos and lear jets.

Useful idiots in CA are finally going to test this idea. I'm sure we'll notice the massive difference when we have a westerly wind. Thanks, and good luck!

most people in CA just assume their gas prices are normal. They have no idea how cheap it is elsewhere.

Say you're getting 30 mi/ gallon driving an fairly efficient car.

And take 6 cents for the cost per mile in the new tax. (will be higher, because they will find some say for the "rich" to pay more.

That's adding almost $2.00 tax per gallon.

At this rate, the flight to Texas and Florida will eventually be like refugees from a land shattered by war, famine, or disease.

The disease is liberalism, btw.

Over_ed said:

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Say you're getting 30 mi/ gallon driving an fairly efficient car.

And take 6 cents for the cost per mile in the new tax. (will be higher, because they will find some say for the "rich" to pay more.

That's adding almost $2.00 tax per gallon.

At this rate, the flight to Texas and Florida will eventually be like refugees from a land shattered by war, famine, or disease.

The disease is liberalism, btw.

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Now throw in whatever the Feds are going to hit you with on top of that.

Quote:

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That's adding almost $2.00 tax per gallon.

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My experience in Los Angeles this weekend was about $2/gal more than gas costs here in Texas. It's just absolutely stupid prices.

Oops - feeling the burn a little earlier than expected...

California's already sky-high gas prices are expected to surge after Valero abruptly shuttered its Benicia oil refinery amid a spiraling "oil crisis," a new report claims.


The Benicia refinery began shutting down on Saturday, four months earlier than planned, a former Valero manager told the California Globe Tuesday

I do feel sorry for all the non-crazies there. I lived in CA about 5 years and there are good people there. Just not enough, apparently.

Over_ed said:

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Oops - feeling the burn a little earlier than expected...

California's already sky-high gas prices are expected to surge after Valero abruptly shuttered its Benicia oil refinery amid a spiraling "oil crisis," a new report claims.


The Benicia refinery began shutting down on Saturday, four months earlier than planned, a former Valero manager told the California Globe Tuesday

I do feel sorry for all the non-crazies there. I lived in CA about 5 years and there are good people there. Just not enough, apparently.

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Wow, that'll be interesting. Im headed out there next month for work, talking with locals will be a delight.

I know of at least one refiner who is trying to increase their supply to California, but it will take several years to fully implement the plan. Kali will suffer in the meantime, and also, this refiner won't be able to supply all that was lost from the shuttered refineries.

I'm a bit perplexed.

The Valero refinery is gone. Is inventory keeping prices stable? I would have expected to see dramatic increases by now.

Logos Stick said:

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I'm a bit perplexed.

The Valero refinery is gone. Is inventory keeping prices stable? I would have expected to see dramatic increases by now.

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Im not sure how it hasn't already spiked. The other refinery already shut down in Dec. So theyre down 17-20% refinery capacity. Plus the other refinery that's doen because it blew the eff up. Chevron El Segundo refinery, 10/9 exploded, but that was jet fuel. So that explains a few things.

Ryan the Temp said:

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Quote:

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That's adding almost $2.00 tax per gallon.

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My experience in Los Angeles this weekend was about $2/gal more than gas costs here in Texas. It's just absolutely stupid prices.

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Yep... I've had $100 fill ups (18 gallons) on my Jeep Wrangler before in California.

I posted a pic on FB just to freak out all my Texas friends.

Funny thing is. When I lived in Australia, $6.50 gas was a normal price.

And I had a 131 Euro fill up on the Autobahn last year in my rental Audi A6.

So to InfantryAg's point earlier, a lot of folks just think this these prices are normal.

Hopefully the projected $8.43 per gallon gasoline in CA will sink Governor Goodhair's presidential campaign.

It will only take 1 refinery to go down for unexpected maintenance or a typhoon in SE Asia to muck up deliveries for 2 weeks to spike prices.

From what I read elsewhere, SE Asia refineries aren't going to expand capacity so youll have greater demand on existing supply which will keep prices high regardless.

This will impact more than just CA. Arizona gets a lot of their gasoline & diesel from CA.

Quote:

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Refineries are fleeing the Golden State as regulations drive operating costs 26 to 37% higher than the national average. Chevron moved its operations from the Bay Area to Texas, while Phillips 66 powered down its 140,000-barrel-per-day Los Angeles refinery in October.
Ariza warned that as refineries go dark, more Californians will also skip town, noting that the oil and gas industry supports 536,770 jobs and pumps $338 billion into the state's economy, the outlet reported.
He said Valero's accelerated shutdown comes after the company scrapped its crude oil contracts back in October.

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https://hotair.com/david-strom/2026/02/09/california-has-become-uninvestable-n3811709

Sam Darnold lost money on Sunday?? Boomer says the NFLPA should shut down any future Super Bowls in California: pic.twitter.com/3Rki5K6HT4

— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) February 9, 2026

That's crazy.

I'm paying about 35 cents more per gallon in Phoenix than a month ago.

Newsom is an idiot. Valero just shut their refinery down early and they have no intention of selling the plant it appears. This is a direct F U to the state of California for their over burdensome regulations and fines.

https://nypost.com/2026/02/04/us-news/valero-shuts-california-refinery-early-as-gas-prices-poised-to-spike/

https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/california-gas-valero-benicia/2026/02/04/id/1244892/

Oh they'd have happily sold it to someone, if someone, anyone wanted to pay for it. They are paying over a billion dollars to walk away though.

That's how bad the economics are to play there; it's so erratic and costly alike no one can make money refining oil into gasoline there.

$VLO

Valero shut down its Benicia refinery incurring $1B+ in write downs to get out from under California state overreach on its O&G operators.

As of 1/31 the refinery is officially shutdown and thermal readings show it as cold.

$10+ gas prices are coming.$SOC $CRC $CVX…

— TheDailyCompounder (@100xCompounding) February 10, 2026

Valero just paid a $1.1 billion breakup fee to leave California.

When a company is willing to absorb a billion-dollar write-down just to exit a market, that’s not a routine business decision. It’s a signal that the operating environment no longer works.

Valero is shutting down… pic.twitter.com/omIEscUZy6

— Mike Netter (@nettermike) February 9, 2026

Great info. - I guess no other operators want any part of that hell hole. Maybe Commiefornia can bring in some of Maduro's guys to run their refineries. What the hell is wrong with that state? Has the commies taken it over?

fullback44 said:

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Great info. - I guess no other operators want any part of that hell hole. Maybe Commiefornia can bring in some of Maduro's guys to run their refineries. What the hell is wrong with that state? Has the commies taken it over?

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Its worse than that. Newsome went around on his knees to European refiners who are accustom to working in a highly regulated market. He offered crazy incentives and they all told him to go fack himself.

It has potential to get even worse. Some of the few remaining refineries may consider other products to avoid the gasoline problem.

Demand is ineleastic and growing, despite any and all claims that the solution is EVs. The only refineries in the World that will make their specific blend is SE Asia and they have no intention of increasing capacity.

Demand going up, Supply going down.

The idiots I know there are fixated on gasoline and dont seem to realize this is going to impact the cost of every single good they purchase. 20 years ago when supplies were tight there was a fuel surcharge added as a line item. It eventually went away but the price increase didnt. I expect the same again.

TRIDENT said:

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Hopefully the projected $8.43 per gallon gasoline in CA will sink Governor Goodhair's presidential campaign.

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They will only want him more.

Diesel is also a huge issue, as its pricing impacts the cost of absolutely everything people buy, via transportation/energy alike. I've read that transportation represents something like 40 percent of the cost paid for groceries, too lazy to look up that link right now.

Per Grok (so, may be wrong but it sounds right to me):

Quote:

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California mandates requirements for diesel fuel that make it unique compared to standard federal diesel fuel.

California has long required a specific formulation known as **CARB diesel** (California Air Resources Board diesel), which differs from federal ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) in several key ways:

- **Lower aromatics**: Limited to 10% or equivalent (via alternative formulations that achieve equivalent emission reductions).
- **Sulfur content**: Capped at 15 ppm (ultra-low sulfur, aligned with federal since ~2006, but California adopted stricter measures earlier and more broadly).
- **Lubricity standard**: A maximum High-Frequency Reciprocating Rig (HFRR) wear scar diameter of 520 m to protect fuel systems.

These specifications, in place since the 1990s (with updates like the lubricity requirement in 2005 and full 15 ppm sulfur alignment), apply broadly to diesel fuel sold and used in the state for on-road, off-road, and other applications. CARB diesel was designed to reduce emissions (e.g., ~7% NOx and ~25% particulate matter compared to pre-regulation fuels).

Additionally, more recent mandates require **renewable diesel** in certain contexts:

- Starting January 1, 2024, fleets subject to the **In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation** must use **R99 or R100 renewable diesel** (99-100% renewable content) in applicable off-road vehicles, with limited exceptions (e.g., cold-weather allowances in some areas). Renewable diesel is a drop-in replacement that meets ASTM D975 standards but is produced from renewable feedstocks (e.g., waste oils, fats).

While federal diesel is primarily defined by ultra-low sulfur (15 ppm) and ASTM D975 specs without the aromatics cap or mandatory renewable content, California's rules create a distinct "unique" blend or specification profileoften called CARB diesel or increasingly incorporating high renewable diesel shares (e.g., nearly 50% of California's diesel pool has shifted to renewables in recent years due to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and related policies).

---

Good luck, Californians. Thank you for stopping global warming with all of your idiotic regulations/carbon tax schemes etc.

Anyone know if the nightly parades of souped up old cars, low riders are feeling the crunch out there? Pendejos vote for those who will keep their ride parked!

Phillips 66 built a renewable diesel unit at their Rodeo refinery just a few years ago. That thing is probably rolling in the cash.

nortex97 said:

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Diesel is also a huge issue, as its pricing impacts the cost of absolutely everything people buy, via transportation/energy alike. I've read that transportation represents something like 40 percent of the cost paid for groceries, too lazy to look up that link right now.

Per Grok (so, may be wrong but it sounds right to me):

Quote:

---

California mandates requirements for diesel fuel that make it unique compared to standard federal diesel fuel.

California has long required a specific formulation known as **CARB diesel** (California Air Resources Board diesel), which differs from federal ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) in several key ways:

- **Lower aromatics**: Limited to 10% or equivalent (via alternative formulations that achieve equivalent emission reductions).
- **Sulfur content**: Capped at 15 ppm (ultra-low sulfur, aligned with federal since ~2006, but California adopted stricter measures earlier and more broadly).
- **Lubricity standard**: A maximum High-Frequency Reciprocating Rig (HFRR) wear scar diameter of 520 m to protect fuel systems.

These specifications, in place since the 1990s (with updates like the lubricity requirement in 2005 and full 15 ppm sulfur alignment), apply broadly to diesel fuel sold and used in the state for on-road, off-road, and other applications. CARB diesel was designed to reduce emissions (e.g., ~7% NOx and ~25% particulate matter compared to pre-regulation fuels).

Additionally, more recent mandates require **renewable diesel** in certain contexts:

- Starting January 1, 2024, fleets subject to the **In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation** must use **R99 or R100 renewable diesel** (99-100% renewable content) in applicable off-road vehicles, with limited exceptions (e.g., cold-weather allowances in some areas). Renewable diesel is a drop-in replacement that meets ASTM D975 standards but is produced from renewable feedstocks (e.g., waste oils, fats).

While federal diesel is primarily defined by ultra-low sulfur (15 ppm) and ASTM D975 specs without the aromatics cap or mandatory renewable content, California's rules create a distinct "unique" blend or specification profileoften called CARB diesel or increasingly incorporating high renewable diesel shares (e.g., nearly 50% of California's diesel pool has shifted to renewables in recent years due to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and related policies).

---

Good luck, Californians. Thank you for stopping global warming with all of your idiotic regulations/carbon tax schemes etc.

---

Roughly 75-80% of Diesel sold in California is now Renewable Diesel. It's really the only way to comply with the carbon intensity requirements that California has imposed.

The city of Portland is actually more extreme though. They are requiring all diesel sales in the city to defacto be Renewable Diesel by mandating a bio blend that is not road legal.

Quote:

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mandating a bio blend that is not road legal.

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How is it not road legal?

nortex97 said:

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Oh they'd have happily sold it to someone, if someone, anyone wanted to pay for it. They are paying over a billion dollars to walk away though.

That's how bad the economics are to play there; it's so erratic and costly alike no one can make money refining oil into gasoline there.

$VLO

Valero shut down its Benicia refinery incurring $1B+ in write downs to get out from under California state overreach on its O&G operators.

As of 1/31 the refinery is officially shutdown and thermal readings show it as cold.

$10+ gas prices are coming.$SOC $CRC $CVX…

— TheDailyCompounder (@100xCompounding) February 10, 2026

Valero just paid a $1.1 billion breakup fee to leave California.

When a company is willing to absorb a billion-dollar write-down just to exit a market, that’s not a routine business decision. It’s a signal that the operating environment no longer works.

Valero is shutting down… pic.twitter.com/omIEscUZy6

— Mike Netter (@nettermike) February 9, 2026

---

I cannot wait for things to implode this summer when fuel prices start spiking. The final reality that all the environmental nonsense has wrought is going to be glorious to watch.

I will enjoy my $2.00 or less per gallon fuel while the California idiots get to pay $10.00 plus. I hope it breaks that state, and gets a lot of leftist unelected.

Curious if any producers will even act on the new slew of permits California just freed up to try and generate more production or if it's pissing in the wind.

Oh it's gonna be a mess. These folks deserve it.

Benicia's progressive, anti fossil fuel mayor is now begging Valero not to close. The city stands to lose 20% of its property tax base and hundreds of high paying jobs thanks in part to his luxury beliefs.https://t.co/K7XU9uYjPj

— Marc Joffe (@marcjoffe) June 1, 2025

"He won his re-election by 30 points. And I see from the article that he's a carpetbagger. He ran the anti-Valero campaign shortly after moving to Benicia from Costa Rica."
Elect commies, get commie policies, deal with commie economic consequences.

ETA: edit as some second tweet I guess failed/was deleted.

The permits were mostly for drilling and pipeline, I think. Which will be needed to replace aging wells.

But, there will still be a refining shortage within state. As I stated earlier in the thread, refiners off the coastal states want to get into Kalifornia, but it will still take take to build everything out.

CDUB98 said:

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Quote:

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mandating a bio blend that is not road legal.

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How is it not road legal?

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Most/All diesel truck/car companies will say you are at risk of voiding your warranty if you use a biodiesel blend above 20% and have issues with the engine.

Portland, in their quest to reduce emissions, currently mandates diesel blends of 15% biodiesel.

However, in May, they are mandating a minimum biodiesel blend of 50%. In theory, you could do something like: 50% diesel, 30% renewable diesel, 20% biodiesel, but that's an operational nightmare. Or you could do 50%diesel/50% renewable diesel, but again, a bit of an operational mess to align a terminal that way.

So the simplest option is just to move to a fully renewable diesel product.

AgLiving06 said:

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CDUB98 said:

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Quote:

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mandating a bio blend that is not road legal.

---

How is it not road legal?

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Most/All diesel truck/car companies will say you are at risk of voiding your warranty if you use a biodiesel blend above 20% and have issues with the engine.

Portland, in their quest to reduce emissions, currently mandates diesel blends of 15% biodiesel.

However, in May, they are mandating a minimum biodiesel blend of 50%. In theory, you could do something like: 50% diesel, 30% renewable diesel, 20% biodiesel, but that's an operational nightmare. Or you could do 50%diesel/50% renewable diesel, but again, a bit of an operational mess to align a terminal that way.

So the simplest option is just to move to a fully renewable diesel product.

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Just because it might void your warranty doesn't mean it isn't legal