For the first time since gas prices across the state jumped more than 50 cents a gallon last week, the average cost per gallon of California’s liquid fuel went down overnight.
Yes, that reduction might only be a penny—bringing the state average from $4.66 to $4.65—however Governor Brown’s call for the early use of a cheaper “winter blend” as well as restoration of power to an important Southern California refinery on Friday seem to be starting to level off prices after a week of record-breaking highs.
Price increases slowed over the weekend and should begin to drop this week as the cheaper and more pollutant winter blend makes its way into stations a few weeks earlier than normal. Usually, California converts to the more quickly evaporating winter gasoline on October 31, but Brown ordered the California Air Resources Board to immediately take whatever steps necessary to allow an early transition in the hopes of minimizing the impacts of high gas costs on business in the already strapped state.
“The gasoline market moves on news, and this is clearly good news in terms of supply, because it should be able to increase supply immediately,” said Alison Roberts, a spokeswoman with the California Energy Commission.
On Sunday, the Associated Press reported that gas in Long Beach was the highest in the state with one station charging $6.65 per gallon for the liquid fuel. But today, the website GasBuddy.com shows that the highest reported price in the state is in Escondido and stands at $5.79. In Long Beach, prices are as low as $4.53 at several locations including Sam’s Club on Carson, a United Oil on Long Beach Blvd. and Spring St. and the Arco at Willow and Pacific Ave.