EDITORIAL: How California’s regulations drive up Nevada’s gas prices

Even a major hurricane couldn’t do as much as the progressive agenda to raise gasoline prices.

Gas prices in Nevada have been soaring. The average price is now around $5.45 per gallon. That’s more than 60 cents higher than a month ago. Prices are even near Nevada’s all-time high of $5.68 per gallon set in the middle of June.

Prices are higher around the country than when President Joe Biden took office, but Nevadans have it worse than most. Customers here are now paying some of the highest prices in the country.

This disparity is most glaring when comparing prices with Southeastern states. A massive hurricane hit Florida two weeks ago. It wiped away significant amounts of infrastructure and an untold number of homes. It would be understandable that this would cause demand to spike while creating problems supplying gas stations. That’s a recipe for extremely high prices.

The average price in Florida, however, is less than $3.35 a gallon. That’s around 40 percent less than what Nevadans are paying.

The problem is that the vast majority of Nevada’s gasoline comes from refineries in California, which has been waging war on fossil fuels. Unfortunately, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and others have been succeeding. Regulations have shuttered refineries or led to them converting operations to biofuels that qualify for handouts.

“California lost 12 percent of refining capacity between 2017 and 2021 and is set to lose another 8 percent by the end of next year,” the Wall Street Journal editorial board noted recently.

That leaves little margin for even minor disruptions. Some refineries are undergoing scheduled maintenance. Others have encountered unexpected difficulties. That’s dramatically limited supply, which caused prices to skyrocket.

In response, Gov. Newsom attacked the oil industry. Never mind that he has fought relentlessly to limit supply. Ironically, these anti-fossil fuel regulations are a financial boon to the companies that can withstand the regulatory onslaught. The Bay Area News Group reported that oil refiners’ profits are around 15 times higher in California than on the Gulf Coast.

He also announced that refineries could switch to the winter blend of gasoline early. The summer blend is supposed to release fewer pollutants, but it’s more expensive. Usually, California refineries aren’t allowed to switch over until November. Gov. Newsom appears to be prioritizing his political future over the environment he claims to care so much about. What a hypocrite.

The blame for Nevada’s sky-high gasoline prices rests on the people who impose policies artificially limiting supply.