See how fast California gas prices are rising again and how we compare across the US
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Gas Prices in Northern California
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See how fast California gas prices are rising again and how we compare across the US
Gas prices surpass $6 in Sacramento area and California as nationwide cost also climbs
The relief was temporary — for Californians, at least. Average gas prices have skyrocketed across the state, quickly nearing the record met in June.
On June 16, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas was $6.43. Then in early September, fuel prices plunged by more than a dollar for a state average of $5.25 per gallon for regular gas.
As of Friday, cost for fuel in California is averaging $6.29 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association. The average shot up more than 10 cents since Thursday.
Oil prices move for several, often complex and hard to predict, reasons. Key to price changes is supply and demand.
Crude oil prices are down from nearly $120 a barrel this spring to around $80 today. A barrel of oil is 42 gallons.
National averages are rising, too, as demand increases.
Washington has tried to help but experts say it has little short-term influence. There have been congressional proposals to suspend the federal gas tax, get tougher with potential gougers and this week, set up an emergency reserve supply.
None of that has become law, and even if the reserve helped boost supply, “I don’t think they can move fast enough” to make an immediate difference, said Sanjay Varshney, professor of finance at Sacramento State.
States in the West Coast like California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada are experiencing the highest gas prices in the country.
California has some special issues that tend to keep prices up.
Refinery outages appear to have lowered the amount of gasoline available in the state. And California’s location means those problems have a bigger consequence than in other places that can more easily compensate for shortages.
The average cost for a gallon of gas in Sacramento County was $6.10 as of Friday. Although gas prices in Sacramento are steep, counties like Mono are seeing the most expensive in California, with an average cost of $6.84. The county in the state with the second highest fuel average is Alpine, with an average cost of $6.80 per gallon, then Humboldt County comes in at third at $6.78 per gallon.
This story was originally published October 1, 2022 at 5:30 AM with the headline "See how fast California gas prices are rising again and how we compare across the US."
