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Why California Has the Nation’s Most Expensive Gas

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High gas prices are listed at Chevron gas station in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, as gasoline prices surge amid the ongoing war with Iran. The Iran war has sent oil prices soaring on March 9 after Tehran, under new leader Mojtaba Khamenei, fired a new barrage of missiles at its Gulf neighbours and signalled that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would likely remain shut.  (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran is leading to a global surge in gas prices, including in California, where the average is now $5.88 per gallon according to AAA. While the war with Iran is the main reason prices have increased, California has had more expensive gas for years, in part to policies that are meant to help the state reach its climate goals. Alejandro Lazo with CalMatters explains why gas is so expensive here.

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Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.

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