The Petroleum Industry Information Reporting Act (PIIRA) requires all retail transportation fueling stations in California to file a Retail Fuel Outlet Annual Report (CEC-A15). These stations report retail sales of gasoline, diesel, and other transportation fuels. Sales data reported does not include commercial fleets, government entities, or rental facilities/equipment yards.
Number of Retail Fuel Stations by Fuel – Survey Responses
| Reporting Year | Gasoline | Diesel | E851 | Propane | Natural Gas3 | Total Stations Survey Responses |
Total Stations Estimated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2009 |
8,138 |
3,826 |
30 |
726 |
52 |
8,369 |
9,790 |
|
2010 |
7,707 |
3,715 |
36 |
679 |
42 |
7,965 |
9,800 |
|
2011 |
8,036 |
3,942 |
42 |
809 |
48 |
8,343 |
9,710 |
|
2012 |
7,748 |
3,847 |
51 |
805 |
32 |
8,038 |
10,219 |
|
2013 |
7,044 |
3,579 |
59 |
699 |
46 |
7,293 |
10,076 |
|
2014 |
6,369 |
3,416 |
56 |
714 |
29 |
6,594 |
10,080 |
|
2015 |
7,240 |
4,095 |
81 |
573 |
139 |
7,516 |
10,309 |
|
2016 |
8,456 |
4,790 |
111 |
651 |
164 |
8,924 |
10,481 |
|
2017 |
8,353 |
4,854 |
127 |
349 |
142 |
8,872 |
10,353 |
|
2018 |
8,256 |
4,873 |
148 |
381 |
155 |
8,684 |
10,266 |
Source: California Energy Commission
*Stations by fuel type will not equal total respondents due to stations often dispensing multiple fuel types.
Retail Sales Volumes – Survey Responses (Million Gallons)
| Reporting Year | Gasoline | Diesel | E851 | Propane | Natural Gas2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 12,764 | 1,393 | 1.38 | 40.87 | 3.84 |
| 2010 | 12,238 | 1,285 | 2 | 32.64 | 4.09 |
| 2011 | 12,644 | 1,346 | 3.89 | 19.82 | 7.26 |
| 2012 | 12,241 | 1,325 | 5.12 | 25.44 | 6.6 |
| 2013 | 11,418 | 1,262 | 7.31 | 13.99 | 6.17 |
| 2014 | 10,220 | 1,227 | 4.99 | 18.23 | 3.94 |
| 2015 | 12,044 | 1,592 | 11.99 | 13.83 | 41.19 |
| 2016 | 13,787 | 1,743 | 16.85 | 9.09 | 45.16 |
| 2017 | 13,936 | 1,717 | 23.01 | 6.24 | 45.61 |
| 2018 | 13,475 | 1,602 | 32.04 | 4.04 | 37.82 |
Source: California Energy Commission
A15 Report Responses vs. Board of Equalization (BOE) (Million Gallons)
| Gasoline | Diesel | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting Year | Survey Responses | % Differences | BOE3 Taxable | Survey Responses | BOE4 Taxable |
| 2009 | 12,764 | 13.80% | 14,814 | 1,393 | 2,580 |
| 2010 | 12,238 | 17.60% | 14,861 | 1,285 | 2,590 |
| 2011 | 12,644 | 13.40% | 14,606 | 1,346 | 2,622 |
| 2012 | 12,241 | 12.70% | 14,486 | 1,325 | 2,603 |
| 2013 | 11,394 | 21.60% | 14,540 | 1,262 | 2,740 |
| 2014 | 10,220 | 30.40% | 14,701 | 1,227 | 2,776 |
| 2015 | 12,044 | 20.30% | 15,108 | 1,592 | 2,825 |
| 2016 | 13,787 | 11.0% | 15,492 | 1,743 | 3,005 |
| 2017 | 13,936 | 10.6% | 15,584 | 1,717 | 3,124 |
| 2018 | 13,475 | 12.9 % | 15,471 | 1,601 | 3,074 |
Source: California Energy Commission
Note: BOE tracks all gasoline and diesel sales in California for taxation purposes, but accounts for those sales at the finished fuel terminal level where taxation first occurs. Because of this, BOE gasoline and diesel sales have no regional dimension available. The CEC-A15 tracks fuel sales at the retail level, station by station, but since the current number of stations is constantly changing and the full station population is unknown, staff uses the total known BOE gasoline and diesel sales figures as a benchmark to achieve in data collection efforts. Differences in these two figures estimate the amount of sales underreported in CEC-A15 results.
California Annual Retail Fuel Outlet Report Results (CEC-A15) Spreadsheets
The following Excel files contain annual CEC-A15 results and analyses summarized in county level tables for station counts, gasoline sales, and diesel sales. Figure in the workbooks graphically display the gasoline sales and diesel sales tables.
Methodology for Estimating Stations and Sales
Using a statistical resampling methodology, staff estimates the total gasoline station population by matching gasoline sales reported by the California Board of Equalization (BOE). This is done by using a subset of the CEC-A15 reporting stations to estimate the characteristics of the missing fueling station population. Since large fueling retailer chains are easier to survey due to their visibility, the resampling is weighted toward smaller retailers as it is assumed they are the primary non-responders to this report.¥
1 According to the Air Resources Board (ARB), E-85 dispensed, in California, averages 83 percent ethanol and 17 percent gasoline.
2 Natural Gas survey responses are measured in Gasoline Gallon Equivalent (GGE).
3Source: California Energy Commission (CEC) analysis of Board of Equalization (BOE) taxable gasoline figures.
4 Source: BOE taxable diesel figures which include taxable retail sales and taxable non-retail sales.
