Consumers got a nice gift this holiday season in the form of low per-gallon gas prices, at least in relation to where we were a year ago. This last year featured a wild ride in which gas prices nationally went up 50 cents per gallon between November 2013 and June 2014, and then tumbled more than a dollar in time for the new year. A question for 2015 is whether we can continue to count on lower prices. The answer is highly uncertain, since the primary drivers of price fluctuations, such as global demand and production decisions by oil interests, are out of our control.
The only reliable way to protect ourselves against gas price volatility is to use less. Fortunately, California is moving forward with policies that are helping us get more bang for our gasoline buck and providing consumers with greater fuel and transportation choices, while our state economy continues to grow faster than the national average.
