California Energy Price Data for December 2021

For the 12 months ending October, the California CPI rose 5.6%, up from 5.1% in October. In the same period, the US CPI rose 6.2%, rising to 6.8% as of November. The US November rate is the highest since June 1982. The California October rate is the second highest since 1991.

The December average price per gallon of regular gasoline in California eased 2 cents from November to $4.67. The California premium above the average for the US other than California ($3.20) rose to $1.47, a 46.0% difference, as prices eased more rapidly in other states.

In December, California again had the highest gasoline price among the states and DC. Californians paid $1.78 a gallon (47%) more than consumers in Oklahoma, the state with the lowest price.

The December average price per gallon of diesel in California eased 1 cent from November to $4.81. The California premium above the average for the US other than California ($3.50) rose to $1.31, a 37.4% difference.

In December, California again had the highest diesel price among the states and DC.

The cost premium above the US (other than California) average price for regular gasoline ranged from $1.38 in the Central Valley Region (average December price of $4.58), to $1.59 in Central Sierra Region (average December price of $4.79).

California average Residential Price for the 12 months ended October 2021 was 22.49 cents/kWh, 73.0% higher than the US average of 13.00 cents/kWh for all states other than California. California’s residential prices again were the highest among the contiguous states, and rose to the 2nd highest in the nation, behind only Hawaii.

For the 12 months ended October 2021, the average annual Residential electricity bill in California was $1,486, or 49.5% higher ($492) than the comparable bill in 2010 (the year the AB 32 implementation began with the Early Action items). In this same period, the average US (less CA) electricity bill for all the other states grew only 7.3% ($99).

In 2010, California had the 9th lowest residential electricity bill in the nation. In the latest data, it had the 23rd highest.

Residential bills, however, vary widely by region, with the estimated annual household usage in the recent released data for 2020 as much as 78% higher in the interior regions compared to the milder climate coastal areas, and substantially higher when comparing across counties.

For the 12 months ended October 2021, California’s higher electricity prices translated into Residential ratepayers paying $8.7 billion more than the average ratepayers elsewhere in the US using the same amount of energy. Compared to the lowest rate state, California households paid $11.4 billion more.

California average Commercial Price for the 12 months ended October 2021 was 19.01 cents/kWh, 81.6% higher than the US average of 10.47 cents/kWh for all states other than California. California’s commercial prices again were the highest among the contiguous states.

California average Industrial Price for the 12 months ended October 2021 was 15.01 cents/kWh, 122.7% higher than the US average of 6.74 cents/kWh for all states other than California. California’s industrial prices again were the 2nd highest among the contiguous states, behind only Rhode Island.

For the 12 months ended October 2021, California’s higher electricity prices translated into Commercial & Industrial ratepayers paying $13.0 billion more than ratepayers elsewhere in the US using the same amount of energy. Compared to the lowest rate states, Commercial & Industrial ratepayers paid $16.6 billion more.