Severin Borenstein
@severinborenstein.bsky.social
Economics, Business, and Energy Prof at UC Berkeley. Member, Board of Governors, CA ISO. All opinions only my own.
EIA data lag BLS on electricity, but through May 2025 not much sign of residential affordability crisis outside of CA in EIA data, CPI-adjusted. Many recent reports of rate increases and capacity price increases, so that could change, but non-CA May 2025 real elec price lower than 2014.💡🔌
August 22, 2025 at 4:35 PM
EIA data lag BLS on electricity, but through May 2025 not much sign of residential affordability crisis outside of CA in EIA data, CPI-adjusted. Many recent reports of rate increases and capacity price increases, so that could change, but non-CA May 2025 real elec price lower than 2014.💡🔌
Claims that CA policies or info collection are driving down gas prices has no support in the data. Nor does it make any sense given no new policies in place yet and the info collected is not credible. Mystery Gasoline Surcharge continues. Here's graph through March.💡🔌
www.sacbee.com/news/politic...
www.sacbee.com/news/politic...
April 4, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Claims that CA policies or info collection are driving down gas prices has no support in the data. Nor does it make any sense given no new policies in place yet and the info collected is not credible. Mystery Gasoline Surcharge continues. Here's graph through March.💡🔌
www.sacbee.com/news/politic...
www.sacbee.com/news/politic...
California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge that has been with us since 2015 (difference between CA and rest of US after adjusting for differences in taxes and environmental fees) averaged $0.40 per gallon in 2024. That's around $5.4 billion in extra cost in 2024 alone.
January 11, 2025 at 5:06 PM
California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge that has been with us since 2015 (difference between CA and rest of US after adjusting for differences in taxes and environmental fees) averaged $0.40 per gallon in 2024. That's around $5.4 billion in extra cost in 2024 alone.
California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge dropped to $0.20 in July, lower than 95% of months since the MGS appeared in Feb 2015. But still higher than 90% of months before Feb 2015.
August 20, 2024 at 3:17 PM
California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge dropped to $0.20 in July, lower than 95% of months since the MGS appeared in Feb 2015. But still higher than 90% of months before Feb 2015.
In first half of 2024, California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge averaged $0.51 per gallon. The MGS is the diff btwn CA's price and avg price in rest of US after adjusting for diffs in taxes, enviro fees, and higher cost of CA's clean gas. $0.51/gal is about $7 billion in extra payments over the year.
July 24, 2024 at 2:33 AM
In first half of 2024, California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge averaged $0.51 per gallon. The MGS is the diff btwn CA's price and avg price in rest of US after adjusting for diffs in taxes, enviro fees, and higher cost of CA's clean gas. $0.51/gal is about $7 billion in extra payments over the year.
California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge ticked up in March to $0.45 per gallon. That is above the higher taxes and environmental fees. At current pace, Californians will pay an unexplained extra $6 billion for gasoline in 2024. The MGS prior to February 2015 averaged zero, since then $0.42/gallon.
April 6, 2024 at 5:01 PM
California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge ticked up in March to $0.45 per gallon. That is above the higher taxes and environmental fees. At current pace, Californians will pay an unexplained extra $6 billion for gasoline in 2024. The MGS prior to February 2015 averaged zero, since then $0.42/gallon.
Here's the latest on the Mystery Gasoline Surcharge, through Feb 2024. The surcharge has fallen to "only" $0.37 per gallon in Feb. Though at that rate it is still costing Californians a bit over $5 billion per year.
March 13, 2024 at 6:42 PM
Here's the latest on the Mystery Gasoline Surcharge, through Feb 2024. The surcharge has fallen to "only" $0.37 per gallon in Feb. Though at that rate it is still costing Californians a bit over $5 billion per year.
Last year alone, California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge cost Californians around $7 billion, about $700 for family of 4. Since 2015, total cost is over $50 billion. The good news is that 2023 is the year California finally started putting some government resources into investigating it.
January 19, 2024 at 3:13 AM
Last year alone, California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge cost Californians around $7 billion, about $700 for family of 4. Since 2015, total cost is over $50 billion. The good news is that 2023 is the year California finally started putting some government resources into investigating it.
My first post on Bluesky has to be about California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge. It was over $1 last month, the second highest it has been since CA's prices went out of control in 2015. In total, it has cost California drivers over $50 billion since then.
November 18, 2023 at 3:14 AM
My first post on Bluesky has to be about California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge. It was over $1 last month, the second highest it has been since CA's prices went out of control in 2015. In total, it has cost California drivers over $50 billion since then.