(a) The commission, utilizing its own staff and other support staff having expertise and experience in, or with, the petroleum industry, shall gather, analyze, and interpret the information submitted to it pursuant to Section 25354 and other information relating to the supply and price of petroleum products, with particular emphasis on motor vehicle fuels, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1) The nature, cause, and extent of any petroleum or petroleum products shortage or condition affecting supply.
(2) The economic and environmental impacts of any petroleum and petroleum product shortage or condition affecting supply.
(3) Petroleum or petroleum product demand and supply forecasting methodologies utilized by the petroleum industry in California.
(4) The prices, with particular emphasis on retail motor fuel prices, including sales to unbranded retail markets, and any significant changes in prices charged by the petroleum industry for petroleum or petroleum products sold in California and the reasons for those changes.
(5) The profits, both before and after taxes, of the industry as a whole and of major firms within it, including a comparison with other major industry groups and major firms within them as to profits, return on equity and capital, and price-earnings ratio.
(6) The emerging trends relating to supply, demand, and conservation of petroleum and petroleum products.
(7) The nature and extent of efforts of the petroleum industry to expand refinery capacity and to make acquisitions of additional supplies of petroleum and petroleum products, including activities relative to the exploration, development, and extraction of resources within the state.
(8) The development of a petroleum and petroleum products information system in a manner that will enable the state to take action to meet and mitigate any petroleum or petroleum products shortage or condition affecting supply.
(b) The commission shall analyze the impacts of state and federal policies and regulations upon the supply and pricing of petroleum products.
(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 288, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2001.)