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- Written by: GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
SACRAMENTO — As oil companies continue to evade questions about unexplained gas price increases, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday convened a special session of the California Legislature on Dec. 5 to pass a price gouging penalty on oil companies that will keep money in Californians’ pockets.
The governor’s action comes on the heels of a state hearing yesterday — which five major oil refiners refused to attend — to investigate this fall’s unprecedented spike in gasoline prices.
This spike in gasoline prices resulted in record refiner profits of $63 billion in just 90 days, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income families.
“Big oil is ripping Californians off, and the deafening silence from the industry yesterday is the latest proof that a price gouging penalty is needed to hold them accountable for profiteering at the expense of California families,” said Gov. Newsom. “I’m calling a special session of the Legislature to do just that, and to increase transparency on pricing and protect Californians from outrageous price spikes in the future.”
This fall’s spike occurred while crude oil prices dropped, state taxes and fees remained unchanged and gas prices did not increase outside the western U.S., so the high prices went straight to the industry’s bottom line.
The text of the Governor’s proclamation convening a special session can be found here.
During the special session, the Legislature will also consider efforts to empower state agencies to more closely review gas costs, profits and pricing as well provide the state with greater regulatory oversight of the refining, distribution and retailing segments of the gasoline market in California.
Taking action to lower prices at the pump, Governor Newsom in September ordered the switch to winter-blend gasoline and demanded accountability from oil companies and refiners that do business in California.
Since California’s record-high gas prices of $6.42, the Governor’s actions have reduced those prices to $4.95 most recently — a decrease of $1.47 since the peak.
In the third quarter of 2022, from July to September, oil companies reported record high profits:
• Phillips 66 profits jumped to $5.4 billion, a 1243% increase over last year’s $402 million;
• BP posted $8.2 billion in profits, its second-highest on record, with $2.5 billion going toward share buybacks that benefit Wall Street investors;
• Marathon Petroleum profits rose to $4.48 billion, a 545% increase over last year’s $694 million;
• Valero’s $2.82 billion in profits that were 500% higher than the year before;
• PBF Energy’s $1.06 billion that was 1700% higher than the year before;
• Shell reported a $9.45 billion haul that sent $4 billion to shareholders for stock buybacks;
• Exxon reported their highest-ever $19.7 billion in profits;
• Chevron reported $11.2 billion in profits, their second-highest quarterly profit ever.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — It is important that all travelers on California roadways be well-equipped with knowledge and tools to help them operate their vehicles as safely as possible.
As such, the California Highway Patrol will continue to provide free classes to assist and educate drivers age 65 and older, as well as promote safe travel for all, with the Keeping Everyone Safe, or KEYS, grant funded by the Office of Traffic Safety.
As part of the grant, the “Age Well, Drive Smart” classes will continue to emphasize that a driver’s performance determines a person’s fitness to drive, not their age.
Age Well, Drive Smart classes are free to the public, provide education specifically designed to help the senior population improve their driving skills, refresh their knowledge of the rules of the road, and learn how age-related physical changes may affect one’s driving ability.
The Age Well, Drive Smart classes have been educating California’s senior drivers since 2008.
“Roadway safety and mobility of California’s seniors continues to be a high priority of the CHP,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “The Age Well, Drive Smart program provides education, as well as alternative transportation options, to seniors and their families to positively impact driving behavior and adjust to age-related changes.”
The CHP invites California’s senior drivers age 65 and older to attend a free Age Well, Drive Smart class to learn the tools to driving safer and driving longer. The class is approximately two hours and is offered at local CHP offices as well as many senior centers within the community. The class is a way for seniors to educate themselves, evaluate their driving abilities, and improve their driving skills.
More information about this free class is available from any local CHP office. The Clear Lake Area CHP office can be reached at 707-279-0103.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — Downtown Kelseyville will kick off the Christmas season this Friday with the annual Christmas in the Country and Parade of Lights.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Christmas in Toyland.”
The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the merchant open house.
At 6:30 p.m. the Parade of Lights will begin its tour through downtown. Register for the parade here.
After the parade, visit with Santa and get your picture taken at Lady Luck Garage until 8:30 p.m., and enjoy cocoa, cider and cookies.
In addition to fun, there will be plenty of food.
Pogo's Pizza Courtyard will sell pizza by the slice from 4:30 to 9 p.m., Kelseyville Presbyterian Church will offer chili with cornbread from 4:30 to 7 p.m., St. Peter's Catholic Church will have tamales and horchata and there will be Christmas carol singing, cookies and hot chocolate at Kelseyville United Methodist Church.
Kelseyville Presbyterian Church also will offer paid parking as part of its annual holiday fundraising campaign.
There also will be several merchants offering special activities. They include:
• Smiling Dogs Ranch Tasting Room, with live music with Red's Blues from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.;
• At Konoctees Screenprinting, join Bottlerock Candle Studio & Succulent-Pottery for Jingle & Mingle with hot cocoa, sweet treats, Christmas shopping and face painting from 2 to 8 p.m.;
• Specialty Care Cosmetic will host a raffle, cocoa and treats from 4:30 to 6 p.m.;
• From 4 to 8:30 p.m., preview the Lake County Festival of Trees entries at Sophie’s Day Spa.
To keep up on the latest events, check out the Visit Kelseyville Facebook page.
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- Written by: Alex Sosnowski
A quick-moving stream of moisture that will blast areas of the Pacific coast this week could cause major travel disruptions as it produces heavy snow, flooding and strong winds, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
The moisture will take aim at much of the West Coast and move swiftly southward through the middle of the week, before weakening by Friday prior to reaching Southern California. The setup can lead to excessive amounts of rain and snow in a short period of time in the northern and middle portions of the Pacific coast.
The precipitation from the storm is likely to be heavy for a period of eight to 12 hours with the worst conditions likely in western Washington Tuesday night, forecasters say. Top reports of snow through 6:30 p.m. local time Tuesday were reports of two inches of accumulation in the western Washington city of Duvall, as well as in Longmire and Neah Bay.
In western Oregon, the storm will hit hard during the day on Wednesday. From Wednesday night to Thursday, the storm will hammer Northern California as it progresses slowly to the south.
Storm's worst to hit Washington, Oregon at midweek
Intermittent rain and snow will pester the region ahead of the main storm through Tuesday evening in the coastal Northwest. Snow will reach down to sea level in some areas during this time.
Snow was falling on Downtown Seattle Tuesday morning and was beginning to accumulate on the roofs, grassy areas and some roads. This is the first measurable snowfall of the season for the Emerald City which averages a mere 0.2 of an inch of snow for November.
Travel-snarling snow is likely in the intermediate and high elevations of the west-facing slopes of the Cascades as the main part of the storm and the stream of moisture drops southward. There is a chance that the major passes in the Cascades, including Snoqualmie, could close for a time due to rapidly accumulating snow.
A general 1-2 feet of snow will fall at pass levels in Washington and Oregon with locally higher amounts and several feet of snow likely over the high country. Snow could fall at the rate of several inches per hour for a time.
As is often the case with many storms that move in from the Pacific, a surge of warm air will occur and limit and perhaps prevent much snow from falling right at sea level.
However, due to the anticipated intensity of the precipitation close to the onset of the storm, the forecast around Seattle is tricky with the likelihood of an inch or two of snow and the potential for a heavier accumulation should snow fail to change to rain in a timely manner Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Heavy snow is likely to fall farther north from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Bellingham and Everett, Washington. Snow could also quickly pile up to several inches over the hilltops in the Interstate-5 corridor near and south of Seattle. A few hundred feet in elevation can make the difference between mostly rain and a bit of slush to 6 inches of snow and slippery travel.
Warm air is likely to have more time to reach areas farther south at low elevations in southwestern Washington and western Oregon, including the Portland area. There can be a brief period of wet snow or mixed rain and wet snow at the onset and the conclusion of the storm.
Rain will be substantial and could be heavy enough to lead to urban and small-stream flooding. Motorists should be on the lookout for rockslides and other debris flows.
Strong winds will add to travel difficulties for a time, especially for those flying into and out of the region. Gusts can be strong enough to break tree limbs and lead to sporadic power outages in coastal areas and along the western slopes of the Cascades.
Storm to bring heavy snow to Sierra Nevada, rain on northern coast
Farther south in Northern California, the storm will pack a punch during the second half of the week.
"While the rain and mountain snow will be beneficial from a drought standpoint, enough can fall to lead to travel delays and disruptions," AccuWeather Meteorologist Haley Taylor said.
Long-term drought conditions range from moderate to exceptional based on the latest conditions from the United States Drought Monitor.
During Wednesday night as rain spreads southward along the coast and over the Sacramento Valley of California, snow will waste no time falling at a heavy rate in the Coast Ranges, Siskiyous and northern Sierra Nevada.
Travel will become slippery and difficult over Siskiyou Summit, along I-5, in southern Oregon by Thursday morning. Road closures are possible.
Snow will reach Donner Pass, California, along I-80 on Thursday midday or afternoon and will continue into Thursday night with the potential for enough to lead to major travel delays and perhaps even a road closure for a time. A general 1-3 feet of snow is likely in the northern and central Sierra Nevada with locally greater amounts over the high country and at some of the ski resorts.
The bulk of the rain will fall on the San Francisco and Sacramento areas on Thursday. While the rain may not be as intense as areas farther north along the Pacific coast, it can still lead to significant runoff, slick driving conditions and even ponding on some roads.
Late-week rain in the cards for L.A., San Diego
Rain is forecast to reach Los Angeles and San Diego, and the lower south and west-facing slopes of the mountains from Thursday night to Friday evening. While the rain will not be nearly as intense as that of areas in the Northwest and in Northern California, it can still lead to slow commutes due to slick roads, poor visibility and some runoff.
Snow levels are likely to remain above Cajon and Tejon passes in Southern California, but some of the ridges and peaks in the region could receive a few inches of snow on Friday, Taylor said.
A couple of rain showers may survive the trip over the mountains and reach the deserts in Southern California on Friday afternoon and night as well.
Alex Sosnowski is an AccuWeather senior meteorologist.
