According to a little-known state air quality regulator assessment, a long-standing emissions reduction program in California may result in a 50-cent spike in petrol prices within two years.
The main environmental agency in the state, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), said in September that petrol prices will increase by around 50 cents per gallon the following year and each year after that in order to support clean air initiatives. The state’s current gas tax is not included in the price rise.
One of the most vocal tax hawks in the legislature, Republican state senator Janet Nguyen, told News that the “secret” tax rise “would penalize the majority of Californians.”
Drivers who choose gas over electric vehicles throw cold water on them, saying, “I wouldn’t feel safe.”
