California Continues to Gouge Residents at the Pump to Pay for Poor Policies

WASHINGTON DC (7/1/26) – The State of California’s excise tax on fuel is scheduled to increase today by an additional 2.2 cents per gallon of gasoline and 1.6 cents per gallon of diesel, adding yet another cost for motorists in a state that already has the highest average gas prices, as well as fuel taxes and fees, in the nation. The increase comes just ahead of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

Tom Pyle, President of the American Energy Alliance, issued the following statement:

“California families, who already pay the highest fuel prices in the nation, are about to pay even more thanks to a state government that treats their tax dollars as a slush fund for their reckless green agenda. This weekend, while we celebrate the 250th birthday of our great nation and the founders who rejected the idea of oppressive taxation, Californians will once again be hit with more burdensome taxes – you almost have to appreciate the irony. 

“Gavin Newsom has continuously blamed the Trump administration for his state’s high gas prices in an attempt to deflect from his own failed ideological crusades. The fact is that Sacramento is deliberately imposing ever-increasing energy prices on its constituency through misguided, costly green mandates and ongoing tax hikes. Almost a third of Californians are living in poverty. It is unconscionable that their state government continues to make life even harder by piling on costs to those already struggling to make ends meet. This Independence Day, Californians should be celebrating our nation’s freedoms and looking for new representation as they consider their continued increasing taxation.”

AEA Experts Available For Interview On This Topic:

• Tom J. Pyle, President
• Kenny Stein, Vice President of Policy
• Alex Stevens, Manager of Policy and Communications

Additional Background Resources From AEA:

• Nothing Like Raising Your Taxes to Celebrate America’s Independence
• Gavin Newsom’s Anti-Energy Policies Becoming A National Security Concern
• Gavin Newsom Spends Millions On “Free” Solar Panels For Non-Citizens

For media inquiries please contact: THOMAS.PYLE@ENERGYDC.ORG