12.4 Gallons Of Gas Price

Alexander E.M. Hess and Vince Calio

24/7 Wall St.

Gasoline prices have risen steadily the past 6 weeks through March eighteen. There was an uptick in gas prices all only 1 of the past 38 days, and gas is now more expensive than at any point the past 6 months.

A customer pumps gas into his car at a Chevron gas station on July 22, 2013, in San Francisco.

In a number of states, the price of gas is now more than $3.75 per gallon, vs. $3.52 nationwide, with gas prices in several other states not far behind. In Hawaii, the cost of gas is $four.17 per gallon. There, as in a number of other states, the high price of gas reflects the difficulties involved in transporting oil and refined products to the country. Based on information from AAA's Daily Fuel Approximate Report, these are the x states with the highest average gasoline prices.

In an interview with 24/7 Wall St., Michael Green, public relations manager at AAA, said that seasonal factors played a major role in the recent runup in gas prices. "Refinery maintenance, the switchover to summer blend gasoline, and more-recently rising demand," have all played a role in the ascent of gas prices, Green said.

Differences in regional gas prices are in office the result of where a state is located. "The closer you are to a refinery, generally means y'all'll pay less at the pump," Green explained. Hawaii may exist the virtually notable example of this. Similarly, states in the Northeast often pay higher prices due to their distance from oil-producing and refining states.

Because of their location, many states oftentimes import more expensive oil from abroad. "Refineries along the West Declension and Northeast generally buy higher priced Brent crude oil from overseas," Dark-green said. Eventually, these college prices are passed on to the consumer, who ends upwardly paying more at the pump.

Taxes frequently affect the price of gasoline too. Of the 10 states with the nation's highest gas prices, all but two levy amid the 10 highest gas taxes. Residents in California, New York, Connecticut and Hawaii pay the most in both gas prices and gas taxes. California charges drivers more than than 52 cents per gallon in state taxes lone.

To decide the states with the highest gasoline prices, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed statewide boilerplate fuel prices as of March 18 from AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Written report. We also reviewed the U.Due south. Energy Data Assistants's (EIA) 2013 Refinery Capacity Report, which breaks out production chapters and the number of operable refineries by state. Capacity figures cited are from January 2013 and reverberate the number of barrels of oil that operating refineries can reasonably exist expected to produce in a agenda twenty-four hours. Also from the EIA, we reviewed figures on total oil production by land for 2013. Finally, we looked at gas taxes per country from the American Petroleum Establish, which are current as of January 2014.

These are usa with the highest gas prices:

x. Pennsylvania
-- Toll per gallon: $3.64
-- Barrels produced, 2013: v.4 one thousand thousand (19th most)
-- Refining capacity (barrels per solar day): 595,000 (6th most)
-- Taxation per gallon: 41.eight cents (5th highest)

At the commencement of 2013, Pennsylvania had 4 operating refineries capable of producing nearly 600,000 barrels per day. Despite this, the state has some of the highest gas prices in the nation, with gasoline running $3.64 a gallon in Pennsylvania, versus $3.52 a gallon nationwide. Limited admission to cheap crude and loftier taxes may exist factors contributing to the relatively high gas prices. As of January, Pennsylvania residents paid 41.8 cents per gallon in state taxes, on boilerplate, fifth highest nationwide. The exact amount state residents pay in taxes is determined past wholesale prices for liquid fuels.

9. Maine
-- Price per gallon: $iii.64
-- Barrels produced, 2013: N/A
-- Refining capacity (barrels per day): N/A
-- Revenue enhancement per gallon: 30.0 cents (19th highest)

Unlike most of the states where drivers pay the most for gas, Maine'due south gasoline taxes are relatively in line with the remainder of the nation. Probable contributing to the high gas prices in Maine is the country's altitude from much of the nation'southward oil infrastructure. The United States has no operable refineries due east of New Jersey, and many of the petroleum products that go to Maine are delivered either by boat or from across the border in Canada. In addition to gasoline, much of the population relies on fuel oil to heat their residences during the winter. The state is also "peculiarly vulnerable to distillate fuel oil shortages and price spikes," co-ordinate to the EIA.

8. Indiana
-- Price per gallon: $three.66
-- Barrels produced, 2013: 2.4 million (23rd most)
-- Refining capacity (barrels per day): 192,100 (16th almost)
-- Tax per gallon: 38.vii cents (8th highest)

Drivers in Indiana pay some of the nation's highest gas taxes — amounting to 38.vii cents per gallon on average in state taxes solitary as of January. Following the national trend, the state's gas prices are lower than last year. Still, Indiana prices are among the highest in the nation, at $3.66. Indiana is home to BP's Whiting Refinery, one of the largest in the nation. A disquisitional role of the refinery is said to currently be undergoing maintenance for the side by side several weeks, which may in turn temporarily contribute to college gas prices.

7. Michigan
-- Price per gallon: $3.72
-- Barrels produced, 2013: 7.eight 1000000 (16th about)
-- Refining chapters (barrels per day): 120,000 (24th virtually)
-- Tax per gallon: 39.1 cents (tied for 6th highest)

Gas prices in Michigan have improved slightly since reaching a high of $4.20 per gallon last year, but drivers in the state are withal feeling the pain at the pump. The Marathon Oil Company Detroit Refinery became the state's only refinery in 2005, when the Alma Refinery closed. Prices might take been fifty-fifty higher had the refinery non recently made changes that allow it to refine Canadian rough oil. Drivers are not helped by the fact that they must pay, on average, 39 cents per gallon in taxes, the sixth highest in the country.

6. Illinois
-- Toll per gallon: $3.76
-- Barrels produced, 2013: ix.v million (15th about)
-- Refining capacity (barrels per day): 930,100 (quaternary nigh)
-- Tax per gallon: 39.1 cents (tied for 6th highest)

Illinois residents currently pay $three.76 per gallon of gas, with prices reaching more than $3.90 per gallon in the Chicago metro surface area. Gas prices in the state may be the upshot of several factors, including the state'southward relatively high gasoline taxes. Drivers pay an extra 39.1 cents per gallon of gasoline in land taxes, more than all only a handful of other states in the land. Prices, also, may take risen due to maintenance work at BP's Whiting, Indiana, refinery, which is located close to Chicago and is ane of the nation's largest refineries.

five. Connecticut
-- Price per gallon: $3.77
-- Barrels produced, 2013: N/A
-- Refining capacity (barrels per twenty-four hour period): Due north/A
-- Tax per gallon: 49.iii cents (tertiary highest)

Connecticut drivers pay 49.3 cents per gallon in state gas taxes, the 3rd highest in the nation. 1 gene contributing to the state's high gas prices is the fact that the state imports all of its gasoline from other states, or from abroad. Overall high consumer prices may likewise play a role. As of 2011, Connecticut was the sixth most expensive state in the nation, as measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Of course, residents have the capacity to pay higher gas prices — Connecticut residents had a median household income of $67,276 in 2012, among the highest in the nation.

4. New York
-- Price per gallon: $iii.78
-- Barrels produced, 2013: 352,000 (26th virtually)
-- Refining capacity (barrels per mean solar day): N/A
-- Tax per gallon: 49.half dozen cents (2nd highest)

Like Connecticut, New York gas prices are driven in office by the state'south high taxes. Residents can expect to pay near 50 cents per gallon in taxes, more than in whatever land in the country except for California. Additionally, New York residents face up some of the highest consumer prices in the state. In 2011, New York had the 2d highest cost level of whatever state, behind just Hawaii, co-ordinate to the BEA. Besides helping to proceed prices elevated is the sheer calibration of the land's demand for energy. Gasoline for New York is brought in from other states as well equally imported from other countries. New York, in turn, distributes petroleum products to other states in the Northeast from New York Harbor.

3. Alaska
-- Price per gallon: $3.84
-- Barrels produced, 2013: 187.9 million (4th virtually)
-- Refining capacity (barrels per twenty-four hours): 244,707 (14th most)
-- Tax per gallon: 12.4 cents (the lowest)

Unlike other states with loftier gas prices, Alaska does not levy especially high gas taxes. Equally of the kickoff of the year, residents paid just 12.four cents per gallon in state taxes, the lowest of any state in America. Additionally, Alaska is a major producer of oil, with nearly 188 million barrels produced in 2013, more than all but three other states. However, Alaska'south high oil prices, and years of declining production, have likely contributed to loftier prices at the pump. While the country is a major producer of oil, it is only a relatively small refiner. Alaska ranks only 14th for overall refining capacity, and refiners ofttimes confront high costs of operating in the land. These costs, in turn, may exist passed on to consumers.

2. California
-- Toll per gallon: $three.97
-- Barrels produced, 2013: 199.4 million (3rd most)
-- Refining capacity (barrels per twenty-four hour period): 1.vi million (3rd virtually)
-- Tax per gallon: 52.v cents (the highest)

Several factors contribute to California'south volatile gas prices. While California was the 3rd largest U.S. producer and refiner of oil in 2013, refiners however had to meet the land'due south huge demand. Refineries in the state, therefore, operate at most total chapters at all times, which means that any problems can potentially cause huge supply disruptions and lead to jumps in prices. The state also has more stringent standards than the federal government for reformulating gasoline, which adds another layer of costs to the price of gas. This is independent of the taxes that hit consumers at the pump. California finer charges more than 52 cents per gallon in country taxes, the about of any country in the nation.

1. Hawaii
-- Cost per gallon: $four.17
-- Barrels produced, 2013: North/A
-- Refining chapters (barrels per 24-hour interval): 147,500 (21st most)
-- Revenue enhancement per gallon: 49.1 cents (fourth highest)

Hawaii customers pay $4.17 per gallon of gas, more than anywhere else in the land. This is actually down considerably from but concluding yr, when the price of gas was $4.40 per gallon. Like in a number of other loftier-price states, gas taxes are specially high in Hawaii. On average, residents pay 49.1 cents per gallon, more than in all simply iii other states. Of grade, Hawaii is further abroad from America's oil production and refineries than anywhere else in the country. Its location leads to high prices for more than just gasoline. Without whatever hydrocarbon supplies of its own, Hawaii must import free energy. With 70% of the land's electricity generation powered by petroleum, electricity rates in the state are also extremely high. As of November, residents paid an average of 37.ii cents per kilowatt-60 minutes of electricity, or more than double whatever other country.

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