West Coast states are feeling the pain at the pump again as gas prices are back on the rise, but Hurricane Ian is not taking the blame.
While the majority of the nation continues to experience a steadying in lower gas prices, California, Oregon, and Washington have seen near 60-cent spikes in gas prices in one week’s time.
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California’s average price per gallon rose from $5.52 a week ago to $6.18 Thursday morning, Oregon’s gas prices have increased from an average of $4.69 per gallon to $5.29, and Washington’s average price per gallon is up to $5.17 from $4.65, according to AAA.
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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) policies as the reason.
“Rather than wage a war on our oil and natural gas producers, Governor Newsom should support all-of-the-above energy policies that lower prices at the pump while increasing cleaner energy production,” McCarthy tweeted.
Republican candidate for California State Assembly Josh Hoover also noted that the state’s government failed to suspend the country’s second steepest gas tax.
Industry analysts say the price spikes are being driven by supply constraints as several West Coast refineries are offline for maintenance.
“Multiple refineries in the Los Angeles area and a refinery in Washington State are experiencing either planned or unplanned refinery work which could last several more days,” said Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho, in a statement. “This has put a significant crimp in supplies and sent pump prices soaring in this region. In addition, the Olympic pipeline in Washington is due for maintenance, perhaps as early as this week.”
Hurricane Ian is not expected to affect gas prices.
“I don’t think it’ll have any impact at all,” Andy Lipow, a longtime oil analyst and president of Lipow Oil Associates, told ABC News.
While Hurricane Ian caused disruption of major oil platforms located in the Gulf of Mexico, as BP and Chevron temporarily cut production so personnel could evacuate earlier this week, Lipow said those facilities are responsible for less than 5% of the United States’s oil production.
“Once they get the people out there, it’s back to production within a day,” Lipow said, noting many began returning to work on Tuesday.
And because Florida is not a primary producer of oil, the impact of Hurricane Ian on the state will not have an effect on that market.
“Just as a matter of geography, there is no direct effect on the oil and gas market,” said Pavel Molchanov, a senior energy analyst at Raymond James. “Florida is not an energy-producing state in the way Texas and Louisiana are.”
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The West Coast’s rising prices have affected the current national average price per gallon of $3.78, an increase of 10 cents from one week ago.
However, states such as New York have seen a drop in gas prices. New York’s average price per gallon decreased 10 cents, from $3.73 per gallon last week to $3.63. Virginia also saw a 5-cent drop in its average price from $3.38 per gallon to $3.33.
