California Energy Price Data for July 2023

For the 12 months ending May, the California CPI rose 3.7%, easing from 4.2% in April.  In the same period, the US CPI rose 4.0%, down from 4.9% in April. 

The July average price per gallon of regular gasoline in California rose 6 cents from June to $4.93.  As prices in the other states rose slightly higher by 8 cents, the California premium above the average for the US other than California ($3.54) notched down to $1.39, a 39.2% difference.

In July, California had the 2nd highest gasoline price among the contiguous states and DC, with Washington 2 cents a gallon higher.  While previous refinery and pipeline issues affected supplies in Washington, the higher cost of that state’s carbon pricing system is now keeping gasoline prices just above California’s.  Californians paid $1.83 a gallon more than consumers in Mississippi, the state with the lowest price.

The July average price per gallon of diesel in California rose 13 cents from June to $5.18.  The California premium above the average for the US other than California ($3.84) rose to $1.34, a 34.8% difference.

In July, California had the highest diesel price among the contiguous states and DC.

The cost premium above the US (other than California) average price for regular gasoline ranged from $1.28 in the Central Valley Region (average July price of $4.82), to $1.53 in Central Sierra Region (average July price of $5.07).

California average Residential Price for the 12 months ended May 2023 was 26.99 cents/kWh, 79.8% higher than the US average of 15.01 cents/kWh for all states other than California.  California’s residential prices were the 4th highest among the contiguous states and DC.

For the 12 months ended May 2023, the average annual Residential electricity bill in California was $1,752, or 76.3% higher ($758) 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 21.4% ($292).

In 2010, California had the 9th lowest residential electricity bill among the contiguous states and DC.  In the latest data, it had the 13th highest.

Residential bills, however, vary widely by region, with the estimated annual household usage in the recent released data for 2021 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 May 2023, California’s higher electricity prices translated into Residential ratepayers paying $10.8 billion more than the average ratepayers elsewhere in the US using the same amount of energy.  Compared to the lowest cost state, California households paid $14.9 billion more.

California average Commercial Price for the 12 months ended May 2023 was 22.44 cents/kWh, 87.6% higher than the US average of 11.96 cents/kWh for all states other than California.  California’s commercial prices were the highest among the contiguous states and DC.

California average Industrial Price for the 12 months ended May 2023 was 18.07 cents/kWh, 122.8% higher than the US average of 8.11 cents/kWh for all states other than California.  California’s industrial prices were the 3rd highest among the contiguous states and DC.

For the 12 months ended May 2023, California’s higher electricity prices translated into Commercial & Industrial ratepayers paying $16.4 billion more than ratepayers elsewhere in the US using the same amount of energy.  Compared to the lowest rate states, Commercial & Industrial ratepayers paid $21.2 billion more.