California is at an energy crossroads.

Facing the nation’s highest fuel prices and electricity rates approximately 80% higher than the U.S. average, working families across the state are struggling. Sacramento’s energy policies aren’t working for everyone.

With a new governor taking office next year, now is the time to challenge the conventional wisdom driving California’s energy agenda.

In a special five-part series, we examine key claims that don’t hold up to scrutiny – because California needs energy policies that are grounded in facts, not misguided assumptions.

• MYTH #1: Gasoline imports create competition and lower prices. The record is clear: California-made gasoline is cheaper to produce and deliver than fuel shipped across the Pacific. Those advocating for more import competition aren’t telling the full story.

• MYTH #2: More gasoline imports are inevitable. Imports are only inevitable because Sacramento policies have made in-state refining untenable. That’s a choice – and one that can be reversed.

• MYTH #3: California is already “mid-transition.” With 80% of light duty vehicles still running on gasoline and EV adoption slowing, the math says otherwise. “Mid-transition” obscures the reality that California will need massive amounts of fuel for decades to come.

• MYTH #4: Californians are willing to pay more for climate leadership. A new PPIC survey confirms the opposite: six in ten are unwilling to pay more for renewable electricity.

• MYTH #5: Nothing can be done about gas prices. California can’t control global oil markets – but there’s still plenty Sacramento can do to protect working Californians from higher prices at the pump.

BOTTOM LINE: California’s next governor will inherit an energy system under strain. Addressing the state’s challenges will require an honest assessment of what’s working and what isn’t to chart a more affordable, resilient, and realistic energy future.