Why are California’s gas prices so volatile?

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Prices in January were near four and five year lows. Then they jumped by a dollar in some cases in the course of just a couple of weeks.

Part of that is the recent explosion at the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance. But what else is at play here?

The state Senate energy committee and the Senate transportation committee held a joint hearing at the state capitol today.

Sacramento Bee political reporter Christopher Cadelago was there, and joined KCRW’s Steve Chiotakis to share what he learned.