## California gasoline consumption fell 2.7% in March, diesel dropped 6.9%

##### 01 July 2011

In California, gasoline consumption declined 2.7% in March and declined 0.1% in the first quarter, according to figures from the California Board of Equalization. Diesel fuel consumption declined 6.9% in March and declined 5.3% in the first quarter.

In March, gasoline consumption decreased to 1.24 billion gallons of gasoline compared to 1.27 billion gallons of gasoline in March last year. In California, the average price of a gallon of gasoline rose 90 cents to $4.00 in March, a 29% increase compared to the average price of$3.10 per gallon of gasoline last year in March. Nationally, the average price of a gallon of gasoline was up 79 cents to $3.62 per gallon in March, a 28% increase over the average price of a gallon of gasoline of$2.82 in March last year.

Gasoline consumption in the first quarter declined with a total of 3.57 billion gallons of gasoline compared to 3.58 billion gallons of gasoline in the first quarter last year. In California, the average price of gasoline per gallon rose 60 cents to $3.66 in the first quarter, a 20% increase over last year’s average price of$3.05 per gallon in the first quarter. Nationally, the average price of gasoline rose 58 cents to $3.34 in the first quarter, a 21% increase over last year’s average price of$2.76 per gallon of gasoline in the first quarter.

In March, diesel consumption totaled 218.7 million gallons, compared to the total of 234.9 million gallons of diesel in March last year. In California, the average price of a gallon of diesel fuel was up $1.13 to$4.19 per gallon in March, a 37% increase over the average price of a gallon of diesel of $3.06 last March. Nationally, the average price of a gallon of diesel was up 99 cents to$3.91 in March, a 34% increase over the average price of a gallon of diesel of $2.92 last March. Diesel consumption in the first quarter decreased to 586 million gallons compared to 619 million gallons in the first quarter last year. In California, the average price of diesel fuel in the first quarter rose 85 cents to$3.85, a 28% increase compared to $3.00 price per gallon of diesel last year in the first quarter. Nationally, the average price of diesel fuel in the first quarter was$3.63, a 27% increase over the last year’s first quarter average price of \$2.85 per gallon of diesel.

In March, both the diesel and gas consumption numbers would have been higher were it not for the impacts of unusually large refunds related to audits. Gasoline and diesel fuel figures are net consumption that includes the State Board of Equalization’s audit assessments, refunds, amended and late tax returns and the State Controller’s Office refunds. The State Board of Equalization is able to monitor gallons through tax receipts paid by fuel distributors in California. Figures for April are scheduled to be available at the end of July.

Wonder how much of the fuel consumption reduction is due to:

1. Higher fuel price.

2. Current on-going economic recession and high unemployment.

3. Higher use of public transports

4. Improved smaller ICE vehicles.

In our area 1, 3 & 4 had the most impact.

4. More electrified vehicles.

Best business to be in: EV maker. Next best business to be in : Home CHP energy appliances. Oil will crash starting today. Gas we will use for a while. Coal is dead going forward.

Electrification is the HUGE energy winner and utilities will not dominate. LANR/CF is here in the open and the most competent appliance makers are going to make billions.

Goodbye fossil fuel.

If just saying it made it so, but that is not the case.

That goes for BOTH of the 1st 2 posts.

Nope. Saying and believing it can make it so.

Believing based on facts and DOING work much better.

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