Valladares, bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus sound alarm, demand answers on fuel crisis

News release

Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares, R-Acton, co-chair of California’s bipartisan and bicameral Problem Solvers Caucus, joined fellow caucus members in sending a letter Thursday to state energy officials demanding urgent answers on California’s worsening fuel situation.  

The letter warns that California faces a dangerous combination of tightening fuel supply, price volatility, shrinking resupply flexibility, and growing exposure to global disruptions — factors compounded by policy choices and regulatory constraints that have already shrunk in-state supply and driven California gas prices to the highest in the nation, said a news release from Valladares’ office. 

“Government has a responsibility to prepare for foreseeable disruptions before they turn into a full-blown crisis,” Valladares, whose district includes the Santa Clarita Valley, said in the release. “Right now, Californians are seeing higher prices and greater uncertainty, but not enough transparency from the agencies charged with managing this issue. We are demanding clear answers about what steps are being taken, what tools are on the table, and how the administration plans to protect Californians.” 

The letter presses state energy officials for answers to urgent questions including: 

• Does the state have an emergency plan for sudden fuel supply disruption and where can that plan be found? 

• Under what conditions would you consider using emergency authority to increase supply flexibility? 

• Would the state temporarily adjust fuel regulations to increase supply during a shortage? 

• How quickly can the state expand access to E15, a cleaner and more affordable fuel blend the Legislature already approved? 

• How many days of fuel supply does California actually have right now? 

“California is facing an escalating fuel crisis, and immediate action is critical to prevent shortages and gas prices soaring past $10 per gallon,” Valladares added. “Californians deserve clear answers and they deserve them now.” 

“California families are already paying the highest fuel prices in the country, and lawmakers are being asked to navigate this challenge without the basic information state agencies were required to provide,” Assemblyman David Alvarez, D-San Diego, a caucus co-chair, said in a news release from the Problem Solvers Caucus. “This is about getting answers to critical questions. If the state has a plan to deal with growing fuel supply risks, the Legislature and the public deserve to see it. If it does not, that is a serious problem that needs immediate attention.” 

Video of Thursday’s press conference is available at tinyurl.com/4mysfj3m. 

Established in 2020, the California Problem Solvers Caucus is a bipartisan, bicameral caucus committed to solutions through collaboration, mutual respect and putting people over party. The caucus is made up of Assembly members and senators, Democrat and Republican.  

  

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