California gas prices highest since 2022

California drivers are heading into Memorial Day weekend with the highest gas prices for the holiday period since 2022, according to AAA data cited by NBC Bay Area. AAA’s California average for regular gasoline stood at $6.115 a gallon on May 23, after reaching $6.143 on May 21. NBC Bay Area reported the rise as holiday travel picked up across the state. AAA said California remains the most expensive state in the country for regular gasoline. ### How high are California prices right now? AAA listed California’s statewide average for regular gasoline at $6.115 a gallon on May 23. The same AAA tracker showed California at $6.143 on May 21, the figure NBC Bay Area cited in its report on Memorial Day travel. AAA’s state-average table on May 23 put California above every other state, with Washington at $5.772 and Oregon at $5.316. (nbcbayarea.com) The national average was $4.529 on the same day. ### Why are people saying “highest since 2022”? NBC Bay Area reported that California’s average this week was the highest the state has seen for this time of year except for 2022. (nbcbayarea.com) The station attributed that comparison to AAA data tied to the Memorial Day travel period. AAA said in a May 21 national release that Memorial Day weekend gas prices are at four-year highs nationally as travelers begin hitting the road. (gasprices.aaa.com) That national backdrop matches the California pattern NBC Bay Area described, though the California figure itself comes from AAA’s state tracker. ### What is pushing California prices up? (nbcbayarea.com) AAA said in the NBC Bay Area report that California’s average was up $1.26 from the same time last year. The station tied the increase to the start of the Memorial Day travel rush, when demand typically rises. The California Energy Commission said in its gasoline price breakdown page that some costs in the state are unique to California programs and policies, alongside taxes and other components of retail fuel pricing. (gasprices.aaa.com) The commission’s annual joint report with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration and the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight said it reviews refinery operations, retail prices, wholesale markets, refiner margins, price spikes and volatility. (nbcbayarea.com) ### Did NBC Bay Area leave out the statewide number? NBC Bay Area’s May 23 story summary said the report cited state pump averages and travel demand but did not provide a single statewide figure in the text summary provided to readers. Search results and the article snippet, however, show the station reported AAA’s California average at about $6.14 a gallon earlier in the week. (energy.ca.gov) AAA’s own public tracker is the cleaner source for the latest number because it updates daily. On May 23, that tracker showed California at $6.115 for regular gasoline, with separate metro and county averages available on the same site. ### Where can drivers check whether prices keep moving this weekend? AAA updates its California state average daily on its fuel-price pages, including county and metro breakdowns. (nbcbayarea.com) NBC Bay Area’s report was published May 21 and updated May 22, while AAA’s live tracker carried the May 23 statewide figure. (gasprices.aaa.com) The California Energy Commission also publishes gasoline price data and price-breakdown material on its website, including annual reviews of refinery operations and retail pricing. For drivers traveling through Memorial Day, the next concrete updates are AAA’s daily state averages and local metro listings. (energy.ca.gov) (nbcbayarea.com)