Press Release
Santa Monica, CA — Business leader, philanthropist and climate activist Tom Steyer and Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court asked California lawmakers to subpoena oil industry executives to explain why California’s gasoline market is structured for shortages and volatility. The executives declined to testify at a March 24 hearing before a joint Senate Committee hearing into February’s dollar-a-gallon price spike at the pump.
Press Release
Santa Monica, CA — At a California State Senate hearing on February gasoline price spikes, Consumer Watchdog issued a report finding that California oil refiners have about half as much gasoline on hand than the rest of America, creating a volatile market that leads to gasoline price spikes. The report, “Price Spiked: How Oil Refiners Gouge Californians On Their Gasoline and What It Costs,” showed that Californians paid $550 million extra for their gasoline in February compared to drivers nationwide by calculating the difference between US and state prices and allotting for consumption.
Press Release
Santa Monica, CA —Exxon misrepresented its safety record at its Torrance refinery to lawmakers at a public hearing at Torrance City Hall last week, suggesting its February 18 explosion and fire was unique, and did not acknowledge how extensively the blast damaged its ability to supply gasoline, Consumer Watchdog said today.
Press Release
Consumer Watchdog Calls For Increased Oil Reserves
Santa Monica, CA – Consumer Watchdog today reiterated calls for an increase in the state’s oil reserves as Los Angeles gas prices jumped $1.03 cents in the last month, the highest in the state, according to AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report website. Los Angeles prices at the pump for regular gas have reached $3.53 per gallon, a dollar and nine cents, or 45% higher than the national average of $2.44 per gallon.
Press Release
Santa Monica, CA — Consumer Watchdog said today that prices per regular gallon of gas in California were up an unprecedented 96 cents in the last month, nearly triple the 38-cent increase per gallon nationwide.
Press Release
California Gas Prices Up 70 Cents a Gallon at Pump Since February 1
Santa Monica, CA — Consumer Watchdog said it looked forward to working with Senate lawmakers who today set hearings for March on possible refinery price manipulation, as the group had requested.
Press Release
Santa Monica, CA—California refinery shutdowns and slowdowns are boosting refinery profit margins by as much as 72 percent, according to a key indicator called “crack spreads,” Consumer Watchdog said today.
Press Release
Santa Monica, CA – Consumer Watchdog said today that the retail price per gallon of gas in California has soared 53 cents between February 2, when Tesoro began shutting down its refinery in Martinez, through today. A regular gallon of California gasoline now costs an average of $2.96 a gallon.
Press Release
Santa Monica, CA – Consumer Watchdog announced today that spot gas prices in Los Angeles have risen 25 cents since Tuesday when an explosion rocked Exxon’s Torrance refinery, according to the Energy Information Administration. Paired with Tesoro’s Martinez facility that is also shut down, 16.5% of California’s refinery capacity is affected.
Press Release
Santa Monica, CA — Consumer Watchdog said today that the spot price of gas leapt a dime overnight, as the group had predicted in the wake of two refinery shutdowns affecting 16 percent of the state’s refining capacity.
Smoking Gun
Today’s explosion at the Torrance refinery couldn’t come at a better time—for refiners interested in driving up the price of gas.
That’s why we are calling for the California Attorney General, Governor, and lawmakers to step in. We want the Attorney General to send in some boots on the ground to rule out any price manipulation by Tesoro when it shut down its Martinez refinery. We also want to know what first caused Exxon to tell one observer that its Torrance refinery would be offline for two weeks due to a mechanical problem, and then what caused an explosion at the refinery today.
Press Release
Santa Monica, CA—Responding to a shutdown of two refineries that produce 16 percent of the state’s gasoline, Consumer Watchdog called on state officials to send independent inspectors to verify refinery claims that the shutdowns were really necessary.
Press Release
Santa Monica, CA—Consumer Watchdog today sent a letter to California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Robert Weisenmiller, Chair of the California Energy Commission, asking that they investigate Tesoro’s decision to shut down its Martinez refinery indefinitely as steelworkers mount a national strike.
