
Steve Hilton. (Photo: stevehiltonforgovernor.com)
Steve Hilton’s Plan for Cutting Gas Prices and Creating Affordable Energy
Since Donald Trump was re-elected, the U.S. has retaken the lead in global oil production, no thanks to California
By Katy Grimes, July 1, 2025 4:39 pm
Today, July 1, 2025, AAA reports that the national average for a gallon of regular grade gas is $3.178.
California’s average for a gallon of regular gas is $4.581.
California’s average for a gallon of mid-grade gas is $4.807.
California’s average for a gallon of premium-grade gas is $4.985.
California’s average for a gallon of diesel is $5.115.
The lowest price for a gallon of regular grade gas in in Mississippi at $2.711.
The California Globe has written plenty and consistently about California’s soaring gas prices. We’ve covered California’s excessively high energy costs, and in 2024, more than 1 out of 6 households, or 21.12 million Americans were and may still be behind in energy bill payments. In California, energy poverty is real and pushes people further down into poverty.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Since Donald Trump was re-elected and took office January 20, 2025, the U.S. has retaken the lead in global oil production, no thanks to California.
Here is why California leads the nation in the highest gas and energy prices:
California Governor Cracks Down On Fracking, Requires Audits and Scientific Review from NPR.
Newsom bans new California fracking permits starting in 2024.
Bad Timing: California Denies 21 Fracking Permits in Kern County, the Globe reported in 2021.
NPR reported in 2019:
In 2019, California Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed new regulations on hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, and curbed steam-injected oil drilling. extractive methods long opposed by environmentalists.
The Globe reported in 2021, Senators Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Monique Limon (D-Santa Barbara), introduced Senate Bill 467 to halt all hydraulic fracturing resource extraction. Under SB 467, new or renewed permits to conduct hydraulic fracturing, acid well stimulation treatment, steam flooding, water flooding, or cyclic steaming for the extraction of oil and gas would be prohibited beginning in January 2022. Gov. Newsom signed SB 467 into law in 2022.
As we’ve reported, California currently has the highest gas prices in the nation – higher even than Hawaii, despite California’s abundant oil reserves.

As we have asked repeatedly, if oil companies are gouging at the pump as Gov. Gavin Newsom claims, why are prices in neighboring western states like Nevada ($3.78) or Arizona ($3.25) significantly lower?

This pricing crisis stems from 15 years of misguided Democratic policies that prioritize ideology over affordability, says California Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton.
Steve Hilton, a Republican, says he has a plan for $3.00 gas again in California through rolling back the California Air Resources Board’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and the CARB’s Cap and Trade; by removing refinery regulations, and opening up production again in the state.
Hilton also said on day-one as governor, he would fire CARB director Liane Randolph, and replace her with a pro-energy person, with a new mandate to focus on energy affordability and reliability.
At a gas station Tuesday in San Jose, Hilton discussed his plan to lower California’s gas prices.
“Today, unelected bureaucrat Liane Randolph, head of CARB (California Air Resources Board) raised your gas prices,” Hilton said. “Gavin Newsom did nothing to stop it. On Day 1 as governor I will remove Liane Randolph and start rolling back extreme climate regulations so we can have $3.00 gas.”

“California Democrats have prioritized ‘climate’ ideology over affordability, driving out oil refineries, shutting down cleaner in-state oil production, and piling on extreme, unnecessary regulations,” Hilton says. “Democrats have declared a “war on fossil fuel”, with a stated goal of “net zero” carbon emissions by 2045 – a wildly unrealistic target with an incredibly costly and destructive price tag.”

Here is Steve Hilton’s Four-Point Gas Price Reform Plan to get California back to $3.00-per-gallon gas:
Eliminate extreme ‘environmental program’ costs, including hidden taxes such as payments to the cap-and-trade system to fund the failed high speed rail fiasco.
Suspend the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), reformulation requirements, and other extreme and unnecessary refinery regulation.Originally intended to reduce smog, many of these regulations are outdated or duplicative of modern vehicle emissions standards.
Reduce bureaucracy and reform procurement to reduce excise tax by 50%. California charges 60 cents per gallon in excise taxes, but much of this revenue intended to improve roads and transportation infrastructure is wasted in sprawling, costly and cumbersome design and procurement bureaucracy. By streamlining these processes and enforcing transparency in gas tax fund allocation, Californians can see that this tax operates as intended, to finance road infrastructure.
Aggressively reduce crude oil imports, especially from authoritarian regimes with terrible environmental and human rights records, by rapidly expanding California production. Excessive permitting delays, drilling restrictions, and costly new laws like SB1-2 and AB2-1 have driven up prices and made it harder to produce affordable energy in California.
California families deserve relief from crushing gas prices, and Hilton’s plan offers a proven path to affordable energy while maintaining environmental responsibility.
Read more at Steve Hilton for Governor, Golden Together website.

As the Globe reported in April, California’s oil and gas industry provides 536,770 total jobs in California and 148,140 Californians are directly employed by its individual companies—along with the $338 billion total economic contribution to California’s economy. Those numbers are something we all should feel proud of, a report from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) Institute for Applied Economics – Oil and Gas in California: The Industry, its Economic Contribution and Major User Industries – released.
Oil and gas delivers $23 billion in annual wages and benefits to oil and gas workers in the Golden State, and $53.4 billion in wages to all workers supported by the industry.
Imagine what those numbers doubled could do long term for the California economy.
Did a future Ukrainian refugee advise Steve to couple light blue and gold as the campaign.
/s
..
“The national colours of Ukraine are usually identified as the combination of blue and gold in that order.”~wiki~
Sorry, my friend, but that’s real close to propaganda a la La Prensa, circa 1960.
Not a fan of his retro 80’s Ukrainian color theme and his chiclet bracelets on both of his wrists in the photo above that look like something an 8 year old girl would make and wear?
Nice observation, and the finger pointing. He’s better off racing old Austin Americas.
Interesting comments about the colors. My question for Mr. Hilton is instead of firing the Director of CARB why you don’t call for the elimination of the whole department. If it is a constitutional requirement eliminate all you can legally and then install an interim director making minimum wage until the State constitution can be changed. I would then recommend following the steps for the PUC, Water Board, Costal Commission and other intrusive overbearing State Boards and Commissions. Our elected legislators should be making policy decisions not unelected bureaucrats that the elected class like to point fingers at and say that there is nothing that they can do about. Mr. Hilton you need to think bigger. California’s problems are not just what a gallon gas costs.
Getting rid of an unelected bureaucrat Liane Randolph, Chair of CARB, would be a start but the rest of the appointed and unelected bureaucrats (all of whom are radical far-left Democrats) need to go as well. Better yet, just get rid of CARB entirely and repeal the Mulford-Carrell Act that was signed by then Gov. Reagan that brought this monstrous agency into existence in the first place.
We can only dream of that ever happening?
One more thought. I would also eliminate the CA Department of Education. Prior to Prop 13 local school boards had the power and not the state. Centralizing power in Sacramento has been a disaster for our students. I would call for minimizing as much power as you can in Sacramento and pish it back to the locals. Voters would be much more empowered with local control and not with a monopoly of power in Sacramento.
Amen.
Please stop blaming only Sacramento for the high price of gasoline. The voters of CA had the opportunity in 2010 to overturn AB32 in 2010 (Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006) but overwhelmingly voted not to overturn it by almost 70%. They got what they voted for now stop whining.
the obvious reason. california government keeps the cost of fuel high to sell electricity. what happens when the populous figures out its cheaper to buy a gallon of gas and run a generator to electrify their homes.
same thing happened for some in california during the drought. it was cheaper to drive to walmart and buy 5 gallons of water than use the tap at home and pay the utility.
same thing with homeowners fire insurance. cheaper to use your insurance premiums to buy a second home and rent it out.
self reliance is the only way a dumb old working guy can survive in california
real easy to sit on your hemmoroids and criticize.
at least Steve is running for office, unlike the ne’er do wells on here.
True….I don’t need to agree with everything Steve says to realize I would prefer him to Gavin. I hope he can pull it off…seems like he has the best chance for a Republican right now.