LOS ANGELES—At a Chevron station displaying a cash price of $6.49 per gallon, Veronica Cervantes detailed the adjustments she has made due to rising gas prices over the past two months.
“I don’t go out as much. For nearby places, I walk. I don’t shop,” Cervantes, 54, from Compton, said in Spanish on Thursday.
“I visit Tijuana once a month to see family. It used to be three times a month,” Cervantes added, before replacing the nozzle.
Nationwide frustrations over high gas prices, particularly in California, are growing as the U.S.’s conflict with Iran continues.
The average price of regular gas in the U.S. reached $4.30 per gallon on Thursday, up 27 cents from the previous week, according to AAA. This marks a $1.12 increase from last year.
At the station where Cervantes refueled, credit card users paid $6.59 per gallon for regular unleaded. In Los Angeles, one station hit $8.71 a gallon.
California’s average gas prices exceeded $6 per gallon as of Thursday, standing out on AAA’s fuel price map.
“The war is the major driver of high gas prices,” said Severin Borenstein, a professor at UC Berkeley.
“The high cost of oil is the main reason for gas prices,” he explained. “Each $1 increase per barrel of crude oil adds about two-and-a-half cents to the pump price.”
Iran’s significant response to U.S. and Israeli bombing has been blocking the Strait of Hormuz, where about 20% of the world’s oil passes, driving up pump prices.
“The blockage of the Strait of Hormuz has raised global oil market prices, affecting everyone,” Borenstein noted.
The war in Iran has cost Americans over $29 billion since Feb. 28, according to Brown University.
Alfred Estrella, a 43-year-old, expressed frustration.
After Cervantes, Estrella arrived at the LA station at South Sepulveda Blvd. and West 76th St.
“This is crazy,” Estrella said after seeing the $6.49 price. “It wasn’t like that yesterday.”
Estrella, working in dialysis, drives about 85 miles round trip for work. His commute costs add up quickly.
Drivers are spending $70, often more than $80, to fill up at the station.
Environmental groups highlight the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, noting the Trump administration’s actions to hinder shifts toward clean energy.
“For Californians facing high gas prices, the administration worsens the problem by making electric vehicles harder to afford and shutting down offshore wind projects,” Miguel Miguel, director of the nonprofit Sierra Club California, said Thursday.
Labor unions, including the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, representing over 450,000 workers, say increased costs highlight the problem with relying on foreign fuel.
The war’s scarcity and resulting fuel costs encourage in-state production until fossil fuel dependence ends, said council president Chris Hannan.
UC Berkeley’s Borenstein stated California’s high gas prices are not solely due to the war.
Factors include an excise tax higher than most U.S. regions, state environmental fees, and use of cleaner-burning gasoline. An explainer on his institute’s website details another factor: a “mystery gasoline surcharge” from 2015, under state investigation.
In Mono County, with the highest gas prices in California, the cost was $6.97 per gallon on Friday.
“It’s part of the local culture,” said Mono County Supervisor Jennifer Kreitz. “It’s what we deal with.”
Mono County’s five-member board has limited influence over gas prices.
“That’s bigger than our policies,” Kreitz said, noting a nearby station recently reached $7.19 per gallon. “That’s bigger than our purses.”
Mono County has high prices due to its rural nature and population of about 13,000.
Kreitz advised, “Fill up in Nevada before coming home.”
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org