Should California get its first gas pipeline?

Touted as 'huge' for consumers, proposal is also seen as a step back

- BY HAYLEY SMITH

RICK LOOMIS Los Angeles Times AS THE Wilmington refinery nears its closure, the pipeline from the Midwest is pitched as a new lifeline.

California has long been a “fuel island” — a state whose gasoline and diesel markets are isolated from the rest of the country — but that could soon end under a proposed plan to build the first pipeline to bring refined products directly to the West Coast.

Known as the Western Gateway Pipeline, the project from oil major Phillips 66 and global pipeline giant Kinder Morgan would deliver gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to Arizona and California from as far east as Missouri by 2029. The companies are currently scoping out demand and seeking commitments from customers in what is known as an “open season.”

Kinder Morgan is already a major pipeline operator in California. Officials from both companies say the pipeline would create a vital connection between the Midwest and California, where a combination of unique fuel requirements and geography have created a market that is almost entirely dependent on fuel brought in by ship plus instate supplies. That can leave residents vulnerable to price spikes from even small disruptions.

California already pays more for gasoline than any other state, with prices currently hovering around $4.63 a gallon compared with the U.S. average of $3.10, according to AAA.

The pipeline proposal comes as California navigates the critical trade-off between reducing one of the biggest drivers of climate change — gasoline and diesel — and maintaining consumer affordability. The state is trying to electrify transportation while bracing for the closure of two major refineries in Wilmington and Benicia that together account for nearly 20% of California’s refining capacity. Their looming shutdown is creating jitters about higher prices at the pump.