Gavin Newsom Credits California Gas Price Drop To Transparency, Accountability Measures

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) has hailed the falling gas prices in the state as a win for his administration.

Gavin Newsom Touts Transparency

In a post on the social media platform X on Monday, the California Governor's official press handle hailed the falling gas prices in the state, touting it as a result of Newsom’s two "special sessions," which demanded increased "transparency & accountability on price gouging" while the other targeted "fuel supplies" meeting demand.

The sessions mentioned in the post refer to two legislations brought in by lawmakers in California, which were approved by Newsom in March 2023 and October 2024, respectively.

The post shared a screenshot of a report by the Sacramento Bee on Monday, which cited data from the American Automobile Association (AAA), as well as the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The AAA data, released on January 8, showcased that gas prices in California were $4.23 per gallon, the lowest since June 2021, while the EIA report published on January 7 illustrated a slight fall in gas demand. "U.S. gasoline consumption in 2025 decreased on an annual average basis by less than 1% from 2024," the report said.

Trump's Drill Baby, Drill

The news comes as President Donald Trump has renewed his push towards aggressive oil production in the U.S. with the "drill baby, drill" slogan. However, experts suggest that the push faces challenges both in the U.S. as well as abroad as oil prices aren't "sufficiently high."

On the other hand, Trump's military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his declaration as the acting President of Venezuela could open doors to the country's oil assets for various corporations.

Oil company Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM) has greenlit plans to assess Venezuela’s oil assets, even after Trump's public criticism of the company after it labeled the South American nation as "uninvestable."

Gavin Newsom Criticizes Off-Shore Drilling

Newsom had also slammed Trump and his plans to expand offshore drilling in California. “As it relates to offshore oil drilling, it's overwhelmingly opposed by members of all political parties in the state of California,” Newsom had said.

He also criticized Trump's "reckless" energy agenda at the COP30 summit in Brazil last year. The California Governor had said that the agenda would put "China first and America last," and let China take the lead in the clean energy economy.

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