Never before have gas prices risen so high so early in the year


U.S. motorists have seen the national average for regular gasoline rise above $3.50 a gallon in just three different years, but it has never happened this early.

The national average hit $3.523 a gallon, the Energy Department said Monday, up 4.1 cents from a week earlier. Analysts said the early price shocker is likely a sign that pain at the pump will rise to some of the highest levels ever this year.

“This definitely sets the stage, potentially, for much higher prices later this year,” said Brian L. Milne, refined-fuels editor for Telvent DTN, a commodity information services firm. “There’s a chance that the U.S. average tops $4 a gallon by June, with some parts of the country approaching $5 a gallon.”

Even in 2008, the year that average gasoline prices hit records above $4 nationally and in California during the summer, the U.S. average didn’t climb above $3.50 until April 21, according to the Energy Department’s weekly survey of service stations. The $3.50 mark also was breached last year, but not until March 6.

There are plenty of reasons for the high prices, and lots of reasons to expect a big price surge in the spring, said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for Oil Price Information Service.

“Early February crude oil prices are higher than they’ve ever been on similar calendar dates through the years, and the price of crude sets the standard for gasoline prices,” Kloza said.

In addition, several refineries have been mothballed in recent months, he said, and some of those refineries “represented the key to a smooth spring transition from winter-to-spring gasoline.” The annual change in gasoline formulas is mandated by pollution-fighting regulations.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/business/950062-192/never-before-have-gas-prices-risen-so.html/

Say "Thank you Obama".

Yesterday.. he said it was because the economy is improving..

HAHA...

The fact that he shut down offshore drilling for months causing much of our offshore production capability to move to Brazil and other nations had nothing to do with it. The fact that promised to double the price of gas in the US had nothing to do with it. The fact that he wants an end to depreciation of assets like aging refineries preventing new investment has nothing to do with it. The fact that his policies have shifted permanent oil supplies to countries like China have nothing to do with it.

Just what I need to hear. My medical expenses are going up, too. I thought he had a health care thingy going on that would make it less expensive for me!

You are a lucky lot..we pay around $10 a Gallon at this end of the world'

it doesnt happen automatically, unfortunately

plenty of patients to sort through and update across the country, and then we still have to continue shopping for the best price,,,

omg,,not this high in FEBRUARY,, if only they had waited until spring, like they did in 1984(under Reagan when minimum wage was only 3.35 per hour) or 2004.....

just being sarcastic(but truthful)...lol

and

just saying, not so high up on my list of things to be amazed about,,


Good morning mingle,, time for work,,,,

Fearing a political backlash over his rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline, President Barack Obama tried to use his State of the Union address to appease critics of his war on fossil fuels.

By stealing conservatives' "all of the above" energy policy, Obama is trying to diffuse criticism of his flawed energy policy.

In particular, Obama's call for more oil and gas drilling in his State of the Union address was meant to deflect attention away from his failure to approve TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline. TransCanada has already invested $1.9 billion in the project and abided by the federal regulatory process, and its pipeline provides a whole new meaning to Obama's "shovel ready" phrase.

The president's refusal to allow construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, at a cost of an estimated 20,000 jobs, is proof he is putting his radical ideology before the well-being of American families.

A majority of Americans are disappointed with Obama's stance on the Keystone XL pipeline. According to a Rasmussen Reports poll, 56 percent of those surveyed favor building the pipeline — believing it will help the economy. Americans are focused on fixing the economy and creating jobs, with 59 percent saying that creating new jobs tops environmental protection goals.

If Obama were serious about finding ways to create jobs, he would allow the construction of the pipeline, which would not only generate jobs along the pipeline's path to Texas but would also generate tax revenue and help make our nation less dependent on oil from unstable Middle Eastern countries.

Furthermore, Obama's energy policy excludes coal. Coal now provides approximately 45 percent of our electricity, but regulations generated by the Obama EPA are imposing significant costs on utilities, costs that are forcing some power plants to close and others to spend billions of dollars in order to comply. Those compliance costs will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher electricity prices. Those higher electricity prices will inevitably force more companies to build manufacturing facilities overseas.

Fossil fuels — coal, oil and natural gas — provide roughly 85 percent of America's energy needs. Yet, despite the failure of companies such as Solyndra, Obama is doubling down on renewable energy by calling for a national renewable energy mandate, forcing the Department of Defense to buy enough renewable energy to power a quarter of a million homes and using public lands for "clean" energy development but not for fossil fuel production.

Renewable energy, however, isn't all it's cracked up to be. At this stage of their development, renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar are inefficient, costly and require a significant amount of land.

An analysis by Robert Bryce of the Manhattan Institute sheds light on the fundamental limitations of renewable energy. Bryce compares the footprint of the two nuclear reactors at Indian Point, New York, which generate 30 percent of New York City's electricity, to the footprint of a wind farm that could generate the same amount of power. Wind turbines would require a space equivalent to the size of Rhode Island to produce the same amount of electricity as Indian Point does on approximately 250 acres of land.

It's hard to understand why Obama would pursue such a foolhardy policy. The answer seems to be that the President's folly is encouraged by his financial benefactors.

Despite his class-war rhetoric, Obama's command-and-control energy policy drains our budget to reward crony capitalists such as General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt and his fellow presidential jobs panel member and billionaire venture capitalist John Doerr.

Ironically, the Obama war on fossil fuels hurts hard-working Americans because high energy prices have a disproportional impact on middle- and lower-income households and jeopardizes U.S. manufacturing.

And although Obama has called for fairness and a level playing field, the mandates and subsidies for renewable energy he favors would stifle competition by picking winners and losers.

Competition and consumer choice drive the success of goods and services. Even the President of the United States can't force the success of renewable energy through mandates.

http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21NVBorelliEnergy90212.html

You need to pay it because how else are you going to fund all your "free" programs..

I take it you do not believe in The Social Democratic System Then.

I don't drive.
So.

Meh.

Couldn't careless.

Walk.
Take the bus.

Heck, for 3 dollars here, I can travel to three different cities and even a different state. So..

Meh.

You wanna b**** about the prices of it..
..stop using it.

Just saying.

Are you serious...Interstate For $3?????????????

The Amish do have 1 up on us,they don't live in the rat race.

Yup.

The local bus can take me right to the outer edge of Easton. Easton borders New Jersey.

Therefore, taking about twenty steps across that wide street..
I'm in a new state.

Same thing if I go south, however, the walk to Maryland is a bit farther since there's nothing there. :O

I can get to Philly and NY, but costs a tad bit more.

But, all day passes, for 3 bucks..
Be surprised how you can get around without having to buy another pass.

..I could probably visit the whole U.S. if I tried.

But obviously, each depot charges different rates.
But here, in the Lehigh Valley..
3.00 will get you pretty flippin' far.

In fact:

The Lehigh Valley Bus Terminal covers these cities in my area:

Allentown
Bethlehem
Easton
Emmaus
Reading
Salisbury
Northampton
Whitehall
Slatington
..eh, that city between Slatington and Whitehall.
Macungie
Lehighton
Palmerton

..and maybe more, but I don't go there.

Gas prices (and prices in general) are only high in terms of dollars. In real terms (sound money), gas is very cheap. If the dollar was backed 100% by gold, you would only pay a dime per gallon.

A return journey of 500 miles costs $125 here

:O

..wow, that's gayness klc.

Where do you live? o.o