Triple-A-Iowa says the average price for a gallon of gasoline hit an all-time high for Iowa today, jumping to $3.21 a gallon. Brian Crowe, an energy analyst for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says the state’s gas price survey shows the statewide average as two-cents lower than Triple-A’s estimate, but still at a record level.
Crowe says, "The price has gone up considerably over the last month, about 15-percent. In the middle of April, we were at $2.71 per gallon. Yesterday, we were at about $3.16. Today, it looks like we’re at $3.19." Some folks may blame President Bush, a conspiracy of oil company leaders or overseas terrorists for the skyrocketing gas prices.
Crowe says it has more to do with a variety of refinery issues that have sliced into the gas supply. Crowe says: "It’s definitely not at the whim of any one individual or executive. It’s definitely Economics 101. There’s not a lot of product to go out and there is a lot of people who want this product, so the price is gonna’ go up."
The first big travel weekend of the summer season is a week away and Crowe predicts we may have to pay even more to fill our tanks before hitting the road. Crowe says, "Prices could go up a bit before we reach Memorial Day. Hopefully what will happen is that the refineries will come back on-line more and more throughout the country, getting more product to different places and then getting more product to Iowa."
The Triple-A survey shows Iowa’s average gas price at $3.21 a gallon, nine cents –higher– than the national average.