California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office urged Californians to skip Chevron gas stations over Memorial Day weekend, framing the move as a response to what it said are persistently high prices at the pump. In a Thursday posting on X, Newsom’s office told drivers the “unbranded” gasoline sold by other stations comes from the same refineries, storage tanks and pipelines as branded fuel and meets the same state standards, while cautioning that drivers should not “overpay[] for the brand name.”
Newsom’s office pointed to an analysis cited by a group within the state’s energy commission. The office said the analysis found Chevron averaged more than 60 to 80 cents per gallon above unbranded alternatives, according to the AP report. The guidance from the governor’s office came as Memorial Day travel is expected to be among the busiest periods of the year.
At the same time, Chevron has circulated messages to drivers in California that attribute higher prices to state climate policies. The AP report said Chevron posted signs at gas stations that read: “California politicians are choosing foreign oil and fuels over local jobs and lower costs,” and that the signs included a QR code directing drivers to a Chevron webpage urging people to “speak up for affordable, reliable energy.”
Chevron spokesman Ross Allen said it was not clear when the signs were put up, but he described them as part of a campaign Chevron launched three years ago focused on educating customers about how California policies affect prices. Allen said in the report that Chevron has “been very vocal about the importance of customer education in California so that our drivers and our consumers understand where their tax dollars are going,” and he added that most of the hundreds of Chevron stations in California are operated independently and set their own prices.
The price dispute is unfolding against broader pressure in energy markets tied to the Iran war. The AP report said gas prices have risen nationwide since the war began and that the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been shut, constraining tanker deliveries of crude oil; it also noted that crude is a main ingredient in gasoline. The report also said the governor’s climate-policy agenda—where Newsom frequently describes California as a global climate leader—has made Chevron a recurring target in political messaging.
In California, the AP report said the average price of gas was $6.14 per gallon on Thursday, about $1.58 higher than the national average, citing the American Automobile Association. The report also said the state taxes consumers about 70 cents per gallon of gas, which it described as the highest gas tax in the country, and it set the stage for why both sides are competing to assign blame.
Newsom’s office has also moved to cast the disagreement as a consumer-choice issue during a high-demand weekend. Its posting on X included a “Pro tip” that branded differences are largely cosmetic if unbranded fuel is produced through the same supply chain, and it urged drivers not to “rip you off even more by overpaying for the brand name,” according to the AP account.
The Chevron fight has become part of California’s governor’s race as well. The AP report said billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer criticized former federal health secretary Xavier Becerra for accepting campaign contributions from the company, and noted that Steyer and Becerra are both Democrats.
Newsom’s office and the energy-commission’s oversight powers remain central to the political narrative. The AP report said Newsom signed a 2023 law allowing the state’s energy commission to penalize oil companies for excess profits, with the governor declaring at the time that California had “finally beat big oil,” but it said regulators voted last year to hold off on plans to penalize businesses until 2030 while prioritizing other efforts to protect consumers at the pump.
The AP report said the postponement followed announcements by two oil refineries that accounted for roughly 18% of the state’s refining capacity and planned to close, renewing debate over the effects of California’s climate policies. The report also said Newsom signed a 2024 law giving the commission authority to require refineries to keep a certain amount of fuel on hand to help reduce price spikes when refineries go offline for maintenance, and that the regulation has stalled.
As the holiday weekend begins, both sides are emphasizing different parts of the price picture—Newsom’s office focusing on the brand premium it says drivers face at Chevron, while Chevron’s messaging ties the cost to state policy choices.