Gas prices climb after Indiana refinery shutdown, national average hits $3.21 ahead of Labor Day
Gasoline prices jumped nationwide this week after flooding forced the temporary shutdown of the BP Whiting Refinery in Indiana, the Midwest’s largest refinery, just ahead of the busy Labor Day travel weekend.
The national average for a gallon of regular rose more than 7 cents in the past week to $3.21, according to AAA. The Whiting facility suspended operations for several days following a severe thunderstorm but has since resumed production, which could bring relief to drivers in the Great Lakes region where prices spiked the most.
Today’s national average is $3.210, compared to $3.137 a week ago, $3.143 a month ago and $3.361 a year ago.
Overall, summer gas prices have remained steady and are expected to trend downward into the fall. However, the Whiting incident highlights the unpredictability of fuel prices, which can be influenced suddenly by natural disasters or geopolitical events.
Gasoline and Oil Data
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported gasoline demand rose from 8.84 million barrels per day to 9.24 million last week. Domestic gasoline supply dropped from 223.6 million barrels to 222.3 million, while production increased, averaging 10 million barrels per day.
In crude markets, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) settled at $64.15 a barrel on Wednesday, up 90 cents. EIA data show U.S. crude oil inventories fell by 2.4 million barrels, with current levels of 418.3 million barrels about 6% below the five-year seasonal average.
Electric Vehicle Charging
The national average cost of electricity at a public EV charging station remained unchanged at 36 cents per kilowatt hour this past week.
State Comparisons
The 10 most expensive gasoline markets are: California ($4.59), Hawaii ($4.47), Washington ($4.39), Oregon ($3.97), Nevada ($3.81), Alaska ($3.75), Illinois ($3.54), Idaho ($3.48), Arizona ($3.42), and Michigan ($3.37).
The least expensive gasoline markets are: Mississippi ($2.73), Arkansas ($2.78), Louisiana ($2.78), Oklahoma ($2.78), Tennessee ($2.79), Texas ($2.80), Alabama ($2.83), South Carolina ($2.84), Missouri ($2.87), and Kansas ($2.87).
For EV drivers, the most expensive states for public charging are Alaska (51 cents), West Virginia (49 cents), Hawaii (47 cents), South Carolina (45 cents), New Hampshire (43 cents), Tennessee (43 cents), Arkansas (42 cents), Montana (42 cents), Idaho (42 cents), and Louisiana (42 cents).
The least expensive are Kansas (25 cents), Missouri (27 cents), Maryland (28 cents), Utah (28 cents), Nebraska (30 cents), Delaware (31 cents), Vermont (32 cents), North Carolina (32 cents), Washington (33 cents), and Virginia (33 cents).
Drivers can check current gas and charging prices along their route with the AAA TripTik Travel Planner.
