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The monthly energy updates have been published for June 2020 fuel prices (data from GasBuddy.com) and electricity prices and natural gas prices for April 2020 (price data from the US Energy Information Agency). Through the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, California’s energy costs unfortunately continue to be more expensive than the rest of the United States.

According to a report from the Center for Jobs and the Economy, “California energy policies and regulations continue to impose a substantial cost premium well above those that prevailed in the post-2008 recovery period, and will consume both household and employer resources in the upcoming recovery substantially above comparable costs in other states. These costs also just got higher. Although not yet incorporated into the June data, California fuel taxes again increased on July 1, raising the gasoline tax by 3.2 cents a gallon and diesel tax by 2.5 cents. These tax increases are the result of annual inflation adjustments pursuant to SB 1 (2017), a feature that will likely keep California’s fuel taxes the highest in the nation for some time to come.”

As we endeavor to provide the most reliable and current information on the realities of energy costs, we also continue to urge that true energy independence means that more of our energy needs must be locally sourced.

California Gasoline and Diesel Prices in June

  1.    The June average price per gallon of regular gasoline in California rose 19 cents from May to $3.03. The California premium above the average for the US other than California ($2.06) eased to 97.5 cents, a 47.3% difference.
  2.    In June, California remained as the 2nd highest gasoline price among the states and DC, behind only Hawaii. Californians paid $1.27 a gallon more than consumers in Mississippi, the state with the lowest price.
  3.    The June average price per gallon of diesel in California rose 7 cents from May to $3.31. The California premium above the average for the US other than California ($2.37) rose to 93.6 cents, a 39.5% difference.
  4.    In June, California had the 2nd highest diesel price among the states and DC, behind only Hawaii.

California Residential Electricity Prices in April

  1.    California average Residential Price for the 12 months ended April 2020 was 19.72 cents/kWh, 55.8% higher than the US average of 12.66 cents/kWh for all states other than California. California’s residential prices remained the 7th highest in the nation.
  2.    For the 12 months ended April 2020, the average annual residential electricity bill in California was $1,238, or 24.5% higher ($244) than the comparable bill in 2010 (the year the AB 32 implementation began with the Early Action items). In this same period, the average US (less CA) electricity bill for all the other states grew only 1.5% ($20).
  3. Note: Residential bills, however, vary widely by region, with the estimated annual household usage in 2018 as much as 59% higher in the interior regions compared to the milder climate coastal areas.

For the 12 months ended April 2020, California’s higher electricity prices translated into Residential ratepayers paying $6.1 billion more than the average ratepayers elsewhere in the US using the same amount of energy. Compared to the lowest rate state (Louisiana), California ratepayers paid an additional $8.9 billion.

California Commercial and Industrial Electricity Prices in April 

  1.    California average Commercial Price for the 12 months ended April 2020 was 17.09 cents/kWh, 69.7% higher than the US average of 10.07 cents/kWh for all states other than California.  California’s commercial prices remained the 3rd highest in the nation.
  2.    California average Industrial Price for the 12 months ended April 2020 was 13.74 cents/kWh, 115.0 % higher than the US average of 6.39 cents/kWh for all states other than California.  California’s industrial prices remained the 5th highest in the nation.

For the 12 months ended April 2020, California’s higher electricity prices translated into Commercial & Industrial ratepayers paying $11.2 billion more than ratepayers elsewhere in the US using the same amount of energy. Compared to the lowest rate states (Idaho for commercial and Oklahoma for industrial), California businesses paid an additional $14.8 billion.

California Natural Gas Prices in April:

Average prices ($ per thousand cubic feet) for the 12 months ended April 2020 and changes from the previous 12-month period for each end user:

 

Chart of California energy costs