SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has not commented on its upcoming vote that is anticipated to raise gas prices in the state. As of Wednesday, the board has remained silent despite requests for transparency regarding its proposed updates to the Low Carbon Fuel Standards.
Last week, CARB faced criticism for its lack of communication about how the new standards would impact California drivers. KCRA 3 first requested an interview with CARB Chair Liane Randolph on Monday. However, the board’s communications unit has not responded to any follow-up inquiries made on Tuesday and Wednesday. As of Wednesday night, CARB’s communications director, Lys Mendez, had not replied to multiple emails.
State Senator Henry Stern, a Democrat from Los Angeles and non-voting member of CARB, spoke to KCRA 3 about the board’s challenges in conveying information to the public. “CARB has incredible technical expertise, but it’s not a public relations machine. It’s not necessarily good at communicating this to the public. And that’s where folks like me come in and cut through it a bit,” Stern said.
Stern emphasized that while he cannot speak on behalf of CARB, the updated standards may not be as alarming as critics claim. He noted that the impact of the vote, scheduled for November 8, will largely depend on the progress of the electric vehicle industry. “It’s a little bit of a fool’s errand to predict the costs of the program. If innovation stagnates, the policy will be expensive. But if electric vehicles continue to grow in popularity, it could be manageable,” he explained.
Currently, the California Energy Commission reports nearly 25.6 million light-duty gas-powered vehicles registered in the state, compared to about 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles—over 17 times fewer.
Last year, CARB acknowledged that changes to its Low Carbon Fuel Standards could potentially raise costs for gas-powered vehicle drivers by up to 47 cents per gallon starting in 2025. However, the board later revised that estimate, telling lawmakers it could instead be 8 to 10 cents. In recent emails to KCRA 3, Mendez stated that there is no historical connection between LCFS standards and retail gas prices.
This statement conflicts with information on CARB’s website, where the agency admits that there is already a 10-cent cost passed on to consumers by the oil industry at the pump.
Stern criticized the oil industry’s warnings about the increased costs from the updated standards. He suggested that such warnings are part of a campaign to scare the public about climate programs. “The LCFS reduces big oil’s market share. This is about increasing competition and not being reliant on a single fuel source,” Stern said. “We want to promote environmental benefits and diversify energy sources.”
CARB will hold a meeting in Sacramento on Thursday, October 24, at 9 a.m. However, the agenda does not include any discussions related to the proposed fuel standards.
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