Greene County gas prices jump 30 cents in a week

GREENE COUNTY―The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline was at $3.61 in Greene County on Monday, up 30 cents in a week, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

The spike is comparable to prices at the pump across the country that have jumped nearly 35 cents in the last seven days to an average of $3.72 as the war in Iran reached the 17-day mark.

“Consumers continue to feel the sting of rising oil, gasoline, and diesel costs as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East remain elevated, pushing gasoline prices to their highest levels in years while diesel could soon approach the $5-per-gallon mark nationally,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

Diesel was already at an average of $4.99 a gallon in the United States, up from $3.68 a month ago. New York’s average price sat at $5.14 on Monday.

“Until we see a meaningful resumption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, upward pressure on fuel prices is likely to persist. At the same time, seasonal forces are beginning to intensify as several regions complete the transition to summer gasoline, creating a double headwind that could continue driving pump prices higher in the weeks ahead,” De Haan said.

De Haan noted on Sunday that Americans are spending $300 million per day more on gasoline than they did 30 days ago.

According to AAA, current gasoline prices are similar to the spring of 2024.

“Gasoline demand increases this time of year as the weather warms up and more drivers hit the road. Crude oil prices play a major role in what drivers pay at the pump, and prices have surpassed the $100/barrel mark multiple times in recent days,” AAA reported.

To help offset rising prices, the U.S. announced it will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over four months. The move is part of a broader effort by the International Energy Agency to release a total of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest emergency release in its history, AAA noted.

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($5.36), Hawaii ($4.76), Washington ($4.74), Nevada ($4.39), Oregon ($4.30), Arizona ($4.06), Alaska ($3.96), Florida ($3.71), Pennsylvania ($3.66), and Illinois ($3.66).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Kansas ($3.04), Oklahoma ($3.05), North Dakota ($3.09), Arkansas ($3.11), Missouri ($3.12), Mississippi ($3.16), South Dakota ($3.18), Kentucky ($3.19), Wisconsin ($3.21), and Iowa ($3.22).