California's CARB regulations are driving up gas prices and harming the economy
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "CARBifornia Versus the People | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." March 18, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
The author argues that California's environmental agency CARB is deliberately driving up gas prices through climate regulations, causing prices to hit $5+ per gallon even before the Iran war started. He claims these unelected regulators are hurting working people and neighboring states while ignoring California's own oil resources.
Conclusion
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and its climate change regulations are the primary cause of California's high gas prices, which were rising well before the Iran war and are now threatening energy stability across the West Coast
Premises
- California gas prices were already high ($3.69/gallon in late 2025) and rising to over $5/gallon in 2026, well before the Iran war began
- CARB director Mary Nichols explicitly advocated for $5/gallon gas prices as early as 1990 and implemented regulations like AB 32 and cap-and-trade schemes that increased fuel costs
- CARB's proposed amendments to Cap and Invest regulations are prompting refineries like Valero to shut down and threatening the survivability of remaining California refineries
- California's regulatory approach is affecting neighboring states like Nevada, which depends on California's refining capacity, and West Coast military bases
- California has significant oil reserves (7th among US states) and natural oil seeps that could be reduced through offshore drilling, but regulatory restrictions prevent access to these resources
- The pattern of rising prices correlates directly with the implementation of CARB regulations and climate policies, not external factors like wars
Assumptions
- Climate change regulations are based on 'superstition' rather than valid science
- Economic costs of environmental regulations outweigh their benefits
- Unelected regulatory bodies like CARB lack democratic legitimacy
- Market-based energy production would result in lower prices and better outcomes
- Environmental concerns about offshore drilling are overstated compared to natural oil seepage