California gasoline plan will cost consumers in Nevada, Arizona, letter warns

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs are watching California’s moves to control gasoline prices. Those same controls could pinch the supply in Nevada and Arizona, elevating the price at the pump.

In a letter sent Tuesday to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lombardo and Hobbs appeal to Newsom to work with their states to find a solution that won’t cause an artificial spike in prices.

Newsom called a special session of the California Legislature to consider laws requiring refineries to keep available supplies at the ready — for California, of course. That could mean that shipments to Arizona and Nevada, which both rely on gasoline that comes through California ports, take on a lower priority.

It’s enough to make Lombardo, a Republican, join forces with Hobbs, a Democrat.

The two governors are asking Newsom to allow “thorough policy conversations” between industry leaders and state officials in all three states. The full letter appears below:

It’s not the first time Lombardo has sent a letter to Newsom regarding policies that affect fuel prices. In May, Lombardo urged Newsom to consider the impact on other states as California considered a cap on profits for refiners .

In that letter, Lombardo said 88% of the gasoline used in Nevada comes from pipelines or truck shipments from California.

For the past six weeks, the national average for the price of gasoline has been falling, but the average price in Nevada hasn’t followed suit, according to figures from gasbuddy.com.

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