Sacramento, CA – At a time when California is experiencing unprecedented fuel supply constraints, global energy market volatility, and the highest fuel prices in the nation, the California Fuels & Convenience Alliance (CFCA) is launching the CA Energy Symposium, a new four-part regional event series focused on one of the state's most pressing challenges: the future of affordable, reliable energy.

The symposium will bring together local, state, and federal policymakers with leaders from California's diverse industries to examine how fuel supply challenges and energy policies are driving costs higher across the economy. The discussions come at a time when California's fuel market is facing mounting pressure from a convergence of supply and affordability challenges:

• The state has lost approximately 20% of its refining capacity since 2023 following the closure of the Phillips 66 Wilmington and Valero Benicia refineries.
• California is increasingly relying on imported gasoline from overseas markets to offset declining in-state production.
• The state gas tax will increase to 63 cents per gallon on July 1, adding to already elevated fuel costs.
• The ongoing Iran War continues to create uncertainty in global oil markets and heighten the risk of fuel price volatility.

Together, these developments are intensifying concerns about fuel affordability, supply reliability, and California's long-term energy resilience.

"Energy is the thread that connects every industry in California," said Elizabeth Graham, CEO of CFCA. "When fuel prices rise, Californians don’t just feel it at the pump. The effects ripple through agriculture, food production, transportation, manufacturing, logistics, and virtually every sector of our economy. If we're serious about addressing affordability in California, we have to have serious conversations about energy policy."

Listen to Elizabeth share why CFCA created the CA Energy Symposium to bring together industry leaders and policymakers to address California's energy challenges: Click Here

First of its kind, the CA Energy Symposium is designed to bring together industries from across California's economy that are all impacted by the same energy policies, fuel supply challenges, and affordability concerns.

Each regional session will spotlight a key California industry and explore how fuel and energy policies influence its operations:

• Sonoma — Wine Industry (July 10, 2026)
• Modesto — Dairy Industry (July 17, 2026)
• Anaheim — Trucking Industry (October 2, 2026)
• Redding — Logging Industry (October 16, 2026)

Through collaborative policy discussions, industry-guided tours, and networking opportunities, the symposium will underscore a central reality: California's fuel issues are not just fuel industry issues, they are California issues.

"California's energy future cannot be discussed in silos," Graham added. "The industries that grow our food, move our goods, build our communities, and power our economy all have a stake in these conversations. The CA Energy Symposium is about bringing those voices together and ensuring policymakers understand the real-world impacts of the laws they pass."

For more information, visit www.cfca.energy/ca-energy-symposium/.

Members of the media interested in covering the CA Energy Symposium or arranging interviews should contact Beatrice Lam at beatrice@cfca.energy.