California Proposal to Add Carbon Tax To Gasoline
Starting 2025 California is going to add a carbon tax to gasoline. So far they have hidden it from the voters but now it is coming to light. Gavin Newsom and the California Air Resources Board are working together on a scheme to force people out of their ICE vehicles into electric.
Current Law
California doesn’t have a straight-up carbon tax on gasoline (yet). They achieve similar emissions reduction goals through a couple of different programs:
- Cap-and-Trade Program: This is a key part of California’s climate change strategy. It sets a limit on greenhouse gas emissions from certain industries, including fuel producers. Refineries and importers of fuel must either reduce their emissions or buy credits from others who pollute less. This cost gets passed through to consumers at the pump, currently amounting to about 35 cents per gallon. [CA.gov]
- California’s excise tax: This is a tax directly levied by the state on every gallon of gasoline sold. There was a recent increase, effective July 1, 2024, which brings the excise tax to 59.6 cents per gallon. This is not directly a carbon tax, but it does raise the price of gas and discourages consumption.
What the New Carbon Plan Is:
Here are the specifics of the proposal for an additional increase on gas prices aimed at reducing emissions:
* Increase: **50 cents per gallon** [Unleaded and Diesel]
* Effective date: Proposed to start in **2025** [Unleaded and Diesel]
* Implementation: Linked to California’s **Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)** [Unleaded and Diesel]. The LCFS is a program that sets decreasing caps on the carbon intensity of transportation fuels sold in California. Refiners can meet the standard by blending biofuels with gasoline or investing in other low-carbon technologies. The proposed increase reflects the anticipated additional cost for producers to comply with the stricter standards.
* Important note: This is a proposal by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), not yet implemented as law [Unleaded and Diesel Fuel
So, in this scheme, they are making gasoline unaffordable so people are forced to go electric. The cost is expected to increase 50 cents per gallon until 2035 which would add $1.00 a gallon to fuel every two years as manufacturers reblend fuel to make it carbon friendly. If the actual numbers are correct fuel would be over $10 a gallon in 2035 and even more for Diesel.
In California, liberal lawmakers that hold office have no idea what it is to live a rural life. They are all in their fancy homes in the city where they drive a couple of miles to work, or their driver drives them. They don’t do yard work so have never used the electric tools they are forcing consumers to buy. They have never had a tree fall in their driveway with the power out and be handed an electric chain saw. The don’t understand economics. Everything in America moves by truck. When you raise the cost of fuel you raise the cost of all items.
I guess there will be lots of seniors riding bicycles to the grocery store. There isn’t grocery delivery in rural areas just in case you didn’t know. Whole Foods doesn’t deliver either – not where I live. Its a big vegetable garden, raising pigs and steers for meat – and relying on my well for water when the power works. I will be building an above ground storage unit for when the power grid is down.
For those that live in California do yourself a favor. Vote Gavin Newsom out of office, vote all liberals out of office along with him and put common sense back in government.
And they are considering Newsom to take Biden’s place. God help us if he ever becomes President.
It has to be really hard for the average citizen to live in California. No wonder so many people are leaving.
The price increases are estimates, but each year the fuel manufacturers have to come up with different fuel blending to lower emissions. They have already outlawed all small engines, mowers, weed eaters, chain saws, generators – all 2 cycle and 4 cycle small engines. Can’t imagine using a chain saw during an emergency that was electric powered, or trying to use my JR mower to clear an acre of land on a battery. They haven’t a clue. These people are city dwellers that have tiny little houses – or are wealthy and have landscaping companies take care of their property. Electric cars are bad – they are dirty – they are full of hazmat – they are heavy, the tire wear puts more pollutants in the air than a running ICE engine – they are grid dependent (which doesn’t work in California when the sun doesn’t shine, the wind blows or doesn’t blow and its hot). In California they are trying to take everything from anyone that has something – so they can give it to people that have nothing like the homeless. Its called Socialism. Its been tried and it doesn’t work.
There is another plan on the horizon for California. Besides the Carbon Tax on Fuel they are thinking of dropping the Gasoline Tax (56 1/2 cents a gallon) and adding a mileage tax – and charge you .005 cents for every mile you drive. It is in testing phase. This is to get revenue out of electric cars that don’t buy fuel. It depends on the mileage your current vehicle gets whether this is better or worse, on my Subaru it is about the same (it gets 35 MPG) however on my Jeep which is 22 MPG it looks like a savings. That is of course if they charge .005 cents per mile. There is two other proposals at .007 and .009 cents per mile – In that case the fuel tax is cheaper for me. As California lawmakers are looking for cash I bet this is what they do– and I see lots of disconnects of the wheel hub sensors to stop your vehicle from recording miles at a mix of other problems created by doing that. I need to find a 1970’s vehicle and then I won’t have any issues.