California is inching closer to breaking all-time gasoline price records as drivers face mounting pain at the pump. According to AAA, the statewide average for a gallon of regular gas stands at $6.37 — just seven cents shy of the record high of $6.44. In the Bay Area, some stations in San Jose were spotted charging more than $7 for a gallon of regular, leaving motorists shelling out upwards of $100 to fill up their tanks. The soaring costs are forcing many residents to rethink their travel plans and daily budgets. “You’ve got to start thinking about, okay, it’s also grocery prices going up, do I really need to travel for that vacation, do I really need to travel for those moments, or do I need to sit back at home, sit on the couch, save up some money for what actually matters,” said Ethan, a visitor to the Bay Area from Nevada. Regional averages across the Bay Area are also nearing record levels. In San Francisco, the average price for a gallon of regular is $6.56, putting it about eight cents away from its record. In San Jose, the average sits at $6.38, roughly 17 cents away from breaking its previous high. Experts point to global factors driving the surge, including geopolitical conflicts and a lack of crude oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz to reach refineries. Additionally, California’s historically high prices are fueled by strict state fuel standards, limited local refinery capacity, and state excise taxes. Amid the pressure, Gov. Gavin Newsom took executive action Monday to help provide relief. The governor suspended California’s seasonal summer-blend gasoline requirement and directed state agencies to allow the early manufacturing, importation, distribution, and sale of winter-blend gasoline. Industry experts say the move was anticipated. Caroline Chen, a professor at San Jose State University’s Lucas College of Business, noted that while the state cannot control global crude oil prices, it does have levers it can pull locally. “California cannot control what the price of a barrel of crude oil is, that is beyond the control of California, but what California can control is what we do in our state,” Chen said. However, Chen noted that other potential relief measures come with trade-offs. “I do also believe that an excise gas holiday could possibly be in the cards, but if that happens, then the state will lose out on being able to collect those excise taxes to use for other funding.” Gov. Newsom has not proposed a gas tax holiday at this time. Experts emphasize that further price drops will largely depend on external factors outside of California’s control, leaving officials and drivers uncertain of when relief will arrive. ...read more read less