Word: california
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...closed on the weekend or limited sales to a few gallons because supplies were short, by 5% to 20% of 1978 levels. In most states it was enough of a pinch to make gasoline a major topic of concern, but not enough to force Americans to change lifestyles. In California, however, long lines of cars formed at every open pump, as angry and panicky motorists tried to buy every drop available...
White House aides reacted to Brown's call as though they were receiving a visit from Count Dracula. In an effort to blunt any political benefits to Brown, they quickly got on the phones and invited to the meeting all 45 members of the California congressional delegation plus the speaker of the state assembly and Los Angeles Mayor Thomas Bradley...
...soon as the meeting ended, Brown seized the initiative. He told reporters that he had warned Carter that the scarcity of gas in California might cause an economic disaster, which could spread quickly and tip the nation into recession. The Governor suggested that Carter had "responded" by promising that California would get more gasoline. Said Brown: "May will be the worst; in June things will improve." Brown could not resist one extra dig at Carter: "Many people actually thought that the President was punishing California because of me. I don't believe that." Then he turned over the microphone...
Carter moved quickly to recover. He made an appearance of his own before reporters to proclaim that he had begun working to ease California's gas shortage long before Brown's visit. On May 1, Carter said, the Department of Energy changed the gasoline allocation formula so that California will get more gas. Previously allocations were based on 1978 supplies; the formula will now take into consideration population growth...
...President also announced that he was taking several technical steps to relieve the gas shortage, and aides distributed the DOE's newly completed "Report to the President on Gasoline Supplies for California," which suggested that Brown could act on his own to relieve the problem. By relaxing some state environmental regulations that are stricter than federal standards, such as on the lead content of gasoline, and strictly enforcing the 55 m.p.h. speed limit, California could save an estimated 55,000 bbl. of gasoline per day. That would certainly help bridge the gap between supply and demand: the state...