A report from Reuters released on Jan. 22, 2009 states that gasoline prices have climbed for three consecutive weeks now, rising 6.3 cents per gallon.

According to the federal Energy Information Administration, the average national price for regular unleaded gasoline is $1.85 per gallon. This is said to be the highest since November 24; however, this figure was down $1.17 a year earlier.

Based on the agency’s weekly survey, gasoline price was at its highest on the West Coast jumping 7.5 cents at $2.02 per gallon since the last half of January. San Francisco had the highest city price at $2.06, up 4.9 cents while Los Angeles was at $2.04, up 7.6 cents.

The Rocky Mountain States had the lowest regional price at $1.61 per gallon, which was up 4.4 cents. (At $1.61 a gallon, Denver had the lowest city pump cost but also suffered an increase of 7.9 cents.) Gas prices in other states seemed to soar as well. Miami was at $1.97 per gallon, up 9.6 cents while New York City was at $1.78 per gallon, up 4.7 cents. Chicago was at $2.01 a gallon, up 4.5 cents while Cleveland was at $1.91 per gallon, down 0.6 cent. Boston was at $1.74, up 5.5 cents.

According to a Boston Globe report dated January 24, 2009, data obtained from AAA Southern New England and the Department of Energy Resources have revealed that the gasoline price in Massachusetts now averages at $1.75 per gallon, up 12 cents in the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, diesel prices seemed to have swerved to the opposite direction when the average price for diesel dropped 1.8 cents at $2.30 per gallon, which was down 97 cents from the previous year. The Gulf Coast region had the least expensive diesel which went down 1.7 cents at $2.23, while the New England states had the most costly diesel at $2.61 a gallon, down 0.8 cent.

The government explained that the price jump is due to higher crude oil costs. (Note that crude oil price usually determines the price of gasoline.) However, in an article from Boston Globe, Arthur Kinsman, spokesman for AAA Southern New England, stated that crude oil prices have stayed low in general, despite the recent fluctuations that can be seen on the New York Mercantile Exchange. With this said, the relatively low crude oil price in the world market does not seem to match with the current rising trend of gasoline prices in the nation. A

n article from Times News confirms this scenario as it illustrates the situation in Tennessee, wherein despite the low demand for gasoline and the moderate gains in crude oil prices, gasoline prices still continue to increase; an unlikely trend as mentioned by Don Lindsey, spokesman for the AAA East Tennessee.

Still in the same article from Boston Globe, it was reported that crude oil price rose to $2.80, up 6.4%, following reports regarding plans to cut production from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

A report from Reuters released on Jan. 22, 2009 states that gasoline prices have climbed for three consecutive weeks now, rising 6.3 cents per gallon.

According to the federal Energy Information Administration, the average national price for regular unleaded gasoline is $1.85 per gallon. This is said to be the highest since November 24; however, this figure was down $1.17 a year earlier.

Based on the agency’s weekly survey, gasoline price was at its highest on the West Coast jumping 7.5 cents at $2.02 per gallon since the last half of January. San Francisco had the highest city price at $2.06, up 4.9 cents while Los Angeles was at $2.04, up 7.6 cents.

The Rocky Mountain States had the lowest regional price at $1.61 per gallon, which was up 4.4 cents. (At $1.61 a gallon, Denver had the lowest city pump cost but also suffered an increase of 7.9 cents.) Gas prices in other states seemed to soar as well. Miami was at $1.97 per gallon, up 9.6 cents while New York City was at $1.78 per gallon, up 4.7 cents. Chicago was at $2.01 a gallon, up 4.5 cents while Cleveland was at $1.91 per gallon, down 0.6 cent.

Boston was at $1.74, up 5.5 cents. According to a Boston Globe report dated January 24, 2009, data obtained from AAA Southern New England and the Department of Energy Resources have revealed that the gasoline price in Massachusetts now averages at $1.75 per gallon, up 12 cents in the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, diesel prices seemed to have swerved to the opposite direction when the average price for diesel dropped 1.8 cents at $2.30 per gallon, which was down 97 cents from the previous year. The Gulf Coast region had the least expensive diesel which went down 1.7 cents at $2.23, while the New England states had the most costly diesel at $2.61 a gallon, down 0.8 cent.

The government explained that the price jump is due to higher crude oil costs. (Note that crude oil price usually determines the price of gasoline.) However, in an article from Boston Globe, Arthur Kinsman, spokesman for AAA Southern New England, stated that crude oil prices have stayed low in general, despite the recent fluctuations that can be seen on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

With this said, the relatively low crude oil price in the world market does not seem to match with the current rising trend of gasoline prices in the nation. An article from Times News confirms this scenario as it illustrates the situation in Tennessee, wherein despite the low demand for gasoline and the moderate gains in crude oil prices, gasoline prices still continue to increase; an unlikely trend as mentioned by Don Lindsey, spokesman for the AAA East Tennessee.

Still in the same article from Boston Globe, it was reported that crude oil price rose to $2.80, up 6.4%, following reports regarding plans to cut production from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).