Lawmakers Call for Probe of Gasoline Prices

California legislators asked the state attorney general to investigate why gasoline prices in San Francisco and San Diego are 15 to 20 cents a gallon higher than in Los Angeles and other parts of the state and 25 to 40 cents higher than the U.S. average. The Assembly passed a resolution asking Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren to look into reasons for the regional price differences to determine whether oil companies and refiners are operating fairly. The state’s effort comes a month after Chevron Corp., the largest gasoline seller in California, successfully lobbied to defeat an ordinance in San Francisco that would have restricted its control over retailers’ pricing. A spokeswoman said Lungren has already been looking into the price differences. The Federal Trade Commission is also investigating. Chevron says prices are higher in San Francisco than Los Angeles because of higher real estate values and fewer gas stations per capita.