Editors’ Note: Arizona continues to get screwed because the EPA and its “special blend” makes Maricopa County overly dependent on crazy California and its dwindling number of refineries. Adding insult to injury, the ostensible reason for such dependence is ozone pollution, 80% of which comes from outside the state! If true, all our special blend costs go for nothing as it does not solve the problem. Arizona political leadership is asleep at the switch. We have an administration friendly to deregulation and one that won’t virtue signal to environmental extremists. The cost of oil dropped from almost $80 per barrel in January for West Texas Intermediate to nearly $55 per barrel during the worst of the tariff tantrum market spasm. Yet, Arizonans see no relief at the gas pump despite a drop in oil price of about 30%. This is all because state and Federal officials have destroyed the gasoline market by making us overly dependent on California. Our Governor is either asleep at the switch or in favor of such rigid and ineffectual policies. The result is that hard-working Arizonans are paying too much for necessities. High gasoline costs are embedded in everything we do, from driving our cars to transporting goods to our stores. 

Arizonans paid more for gasoline Friday than this time last week.

AAA has the state average for a gallon of regular at $3.42. That’s up from $3.33 last week. It is also higher than the national average of $3.26.

Julian Paredes, spokesperson for AAA Arizona, told The Center Square the cost of oil is the single biggest factor for the cost of gas for everyone.

“Other factors for Arizona include sources,” said Paredes. “Arizona gets its gas from California, Texas and New Mexico.”

California fuel is more expensive, and adding the cost of transportation from all those states makes Arizona prices higher than other areas.

Drivers in Arizona’s Maricopa County saw prices as high as $3.64 a gallon Friday. Averages in Navajo and Coconino counties were around $3.28 a gallon. The counties of Greenlee, Graham and Pima had prices anywhere from $3.01 to $3.12.

States neighboring Arizona have cheaper prices, according to AAA.

For example, the state average in New Mexico Friday was $3.07, compared to $3.15 in Colorado and $3.22 in Utah. Nevada, at $4 a gallon, and California, at $4.94 a gallon, are the only states bordering Arizona with higher prices.

“Arizona does not have refineries, so the state imports all fuel,” Paredes said.

“Colorado and New Mexico have their own refineries, so transportation costs are lower,” Parades said. “Arizona is also a more populous state with strong tourism, so general demand for fuel is higher.”

Nationwide, gas prices tend to rise near the end of spring because of demand and the start of summer travel season. Paredes said. The historic trend for decades is that gas prices are cheapest during winter, rise gradually during spring, peak during summer and drop during fall.

Meanwhile, the state average for diesel fuel, which is used by trucks transporting food and other goods, in Arizona was $3.57 on Friday.

*****

This article was published by The Center Square and is reproduced with permission.