California Driving Gas Prices Up
High gas prices in California are driving up the nationwide average.
Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg says gasoline supply problems in California have contributed to a five cent per gallon increase in the average price at the pump over the past two weeks.
A Lundberg Survey of eight-thousand gas stations nationwide Friday shows the nation´s highest price for self-serve regular gasoline was in San Francisco, where drivers were paying $2.10 per gallon. In some U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas and New Orleans, pump prices remained steady or dropped a few cents over the past two weeks. The average weighted price for gas nationwide was about a $1.75 per gallon.
The large increase in California is due to refineries switching from an additive called MTBE, which is blamed for polluting drinking water. Lundberg says California´s pump prices jumped almost 14 cents between February 21st and March 7.
