ENERGY

Board Schedules Hearing on Gasoline Price Spikes: Oil companies will be asked at a California Air Resources Board hearing beginning Thursday to explain a leap in gasoline prices. Fuel prices have been rising nationwide, but oil companies say the increase has been steeper in California because of new state requirements that refiners produce a less-polluting reformulated gasoline. John Dunlap, chairman of the Air Resources Board, acknowledged the requirements may make fuel more expensive. However, he said, “recent price increases . . . are difficult to understand and justify.”