Gas Prices Today in Your City (If there's any left)

[govols]

Knoxville, TN

It is now $3.09 almost everywhere and reports are starting to come into the local radios station of new prices coming up at $3.49.

Lucky for me, I am allowed to work from Home on Thursdays. I am off this Friday and Monday. My plan for the weekend is to just work around the house and watch the start of college football. Normally, I would head to the lake. However, I usually burn 10-15 gallons of gas in my boat and 4-5 in my truck getting to the lake. I would cost me somewhere around $50$60 for a fishing trip in gas alone. Not to mention the $10 boat launch fee.

I do believe these prices will ease quickly. I may be wrong but I think the biggest problem is that everyone heard gas prices are going up and headed to the gas station to fill up their car and several portable gas tanks. Now most everyone around here at least has a full tank and extra portable tanks of gas. So the stations should be able to catch up quickly since I am hearing the pipeline from New Orleans is starting to come back online again. Then gas prices should begin to come back down. My guess would be back to the pre-hurricane levels may take a month or so however. Of couse even the pre-hurricane level was $2.46.

Wasn't it just about 10 years ago that gas was under $1 a gallon ?

[Butter]

Actually, it was about 7-8 years ago in South Carolina that I was able to fill up one summer for 69 cents a gallon.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Actually, it was about 7-8 years ago in South Carolina that I was able to fill up one summer for 69 cents a gallon.

The lowest gas price I can ever remember is about 77 cents, but that was probably 15 years ago, in Georgia.

[Butter]

Well, it was definitely the summer of 1998 or 1999 when I was able to gas up for that cheap, because I only lived in SC for 3 years. Plus, that 69 cents was pretty much only for about 3-4 days before it started going back up again. I remember my internal outrage when gas got back over $1.

[Ksyrup]

I've been in Florida since 1991 or so, and gas has never been under $1 that I can recall. We tax the hell out of gas, so that doesn't surprise me. I live 10 miles from the GA border, and during "normal" times, gas would be 30 cents cheaper at a station just over the border than right by my house.

[Philliesfan980]

Hey, at least I'm paying less (same over time mind you) on wear and tear!!

[bossfan2000]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

The lowest gas price I can ever remember is about 77 cents, but that was probably 15 years ago, in Georgia.

yep..i grew up in calhoun, ga and remember filling up for 77 cents a gallon at a local golden gallon. that was around 1989 or 1990.

As for now, here in nashville, filled up this am for 2.79 a gallon..most place were between 2.79 and 2.84..though i saw a circle K at 3.19 for reg unleaded..and people were filling up, even though across the street is was only 2.84.

I still am waiting to see if we start seeing less SUV's on the road, with people no longer buying them, or trading them in..

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Shorty3281

$3.09 tonight, all I had in my pocket was $6.69, got two gallons in. Ugh.

You would have had more than $6.69 in your pocket if you hadn't wasted money doing shit.

[ISiddiqui]

::shrug:: Hearing about these super low gas prices makes me glad that gas is around $2.50 a gallon normally. What other incentive is there to get cars that get better mpg, especially hybrids, or look for alternative fuel surces?

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Arles

Well, he's tried to improve domestic production and remove some of the red tape in producing refineries in his energy plan. You know, the one that still hasn't passed the Senate because of democratic opposition?

Now, the republicans haven't been as hard on oil production either because they are terrified that it makes them look like they are in the pocket of "big oil", so they've let many of the problems fester and deserve some of the blame as well.

People need to start realizing that while investing and doing research/tax breaks for alt fuels is a great thing (both Clinton and Bush have spent a ton here), the practical solutions are decades away. So, in the interim, we can't just say we will "conserve" away all our oil problems. There has to be an effort put into domestic production and refining to get us to the year 2025 or whenever the practical alt-fuels solutions are ready.

The one offering $25 billion in subsidies to the world's most profitable industry ? (though that's not his fault - that's the senate and the House (and De Lay in particular) being the schmucks that they are - do he did sign it.) Arlie, people need to learn to adjust their habits- stop buying gas guzzling SUV's. People like to whine about oil prices, but index oil to inflation from a time since production got started on an industrial level, and its cheap. Gas is simply more high profile than bread, for example - and its price is more volatile - and people react to it. Look, if you were dumb enough to buy an SUV because you thought gas was going to be a dollar per gallon forever, you reap what you sow - I have sympathy for people with kids and what not, but too many people think that $1 or $1.50 gas is the usual price level -its not.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Farrah Whitworth-Rahn

Umm sweetie - the energy bill was signed into law on August 8 and was effective on August 10. I know you've been working 24/7 on BBCF so I think we'll all cut you some slack on that one.


Here's a link to the conference report from the Joint Committee on Taxation. If anyone wants to argue that it's just a big giveaway to oil companies, I'll be more than happy to discuss why accelerated depreciation and other provisions of the bill are not giveaways...Which means we'll discuss tax theory, and that will be much fun.

For me anyway

dola- Farrah beat me to the bill. And its a piece of shit. As for the depreciation, I wouldn't argue from the tax man's perspective (which you clearly win from), but from the economist side. Some of the crap that De Lay put in for his home county especially, was absolutely ridiculous.

[Buccaneer]

I just got back from making a trip to Walgreens and still all of the stations (8 of them) between $2.69 (thoroughfare) and $2.79 (major intersections).

[Gallifrey]

2.78 for regular unleaded in Seattle.
But if they see 4.78 somewhere else, they will try and make up the difference in a tax I am sure.

[duckman]

Gas has dropped to $2.96 in my neighborhood since yesterday.

My brother was talking to one of the store owners about the gas price hike. The guy was told by the company that they'll deliver his gas when "it was possible to". I guess even in a gas producing state we are having supply problems as well.

[CamEdwards]

On my way in to work this morning I saw $2.82 at a Shell in Burke, $2.79 at a Hess in Alexandria, and $3.01 at a Mobil right across the street from the Hess station.

Apparently some parts of the DC area (Maryland mostly) are selling for as much as $3.40 a gallon.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Here in the backwater, the newspaper editor did a little impromptu survey of prices this morning, comparing them to yesterday afternoon, thankfully on the heels of price checks she had done at 10am yesterday (for part of a Labor Day weekend travel story or something).

Highest price this morning: $3.99 regular
Highest price yesterday: $3.69 regular
Lowest price yesterday: $2.59 (pumped every drop he had until he ran out).

On the whole, across 10 stations checked, only 1 had not increased price by at least 60 cents in the past 24 hours.

[Wolfpack]

Prices here in Ann Arbor have plateaued for the moment at around $3.15/gallon. I base that on the fact that the three gas stations at an intersection near my house haven't moved from that number in the past 24 hours. However, given the fact that New Orleans is apparently descending into hell, I expect prices to continue to increase as the psychological impact of the disaster continues to increase.

[pennywisesb]

$3.10 cents here on the Central Coast of California. Amazing.

[FrogMan]

all the way up north in the Quebec City area, prices jumped to 1.34 $cdn per liter, or about 4.15 $us per gallon... It's being reported that prices could go as high as 1.50 $cdn per liter, or about 4.65 $us per gallon.

FM

[pennywisesb]

I remember when I was in Atlanta right after the 1996 Olympic games, that gas was $.80. I remember joking with the guys I was with that we should fill up empty water bottles and take it back to California with us because gas was a whopping $1.15! Oh how I long for those days again.

[Recoil]

North GA:

Today (as of 11:30am) - $3.19
Last Night - $2.99

[gstelmack]

$2.99 on my way home from work yesterday, $3.49 when I just topped off the tank (about half a tank) 2 hours ago.

[KWhit]

Am I way off base in thinking that if the country (meaning the government, with the President's leadership) really wanted to get something done about changing our dependence upon gasoline we could do it?

Hell, over 40 years ago, JFK said that we would put a man on the moon within a decade. We didn't know how to do it, but we figured it out and we did it.

Imagine if GWB came on TV and made an announcement like that - that within a decade we would rely on hydrogen-powered cars, and that the full weight of the gov't would be behind overcoming the current stumbling blocks of the technology. Great strides have already been made. Leadership and a commitment to fund the solutions is all it takes at this point. I'm not pointing fingers at Bush; I was saying the same thing years ago while Clinton was in office.

We need to make it a priority to get this country out from under the thumb of oil. It would certainly help our national security and simplify our foreign policy.

I think at a time like this (with wars going on in the middle east, gasoline prices at record levels) the people would really get behind such a plan. Is the technology ready for this? From all that I've read it is. We just need to make a priority.

[Marc Vaughan]

If it makes you all feel better, prices in the uk are generally over £5/gallon ...

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by KWhit

Am I way off base in thinking that if the country (meaning the government, with the President's leadership) really wanted to get something done about changing our dependence upon gasoline we could do it?

Yes, I think you are pretty far off base.

A declaration like you're talking about would be, at various points:
- ridiculed for targeting unproven technology
- attacked for being "day late, dollar short"
- draw immediate fire from both sides of the aisle, depending upon which state(s) would lose money from any changes to the current system
- be attacked for going with Option X instead of Option Y, Z, or Q

And would ultimately be doomed to failure unless whatever alternate means of propulsion were at least 100% equal in speed, economy, accessability, and ease of use (as in, I know how to pump gas, but where do I put the table scraps to make this thing work) to the current engines. And best I can tell, none of those are sure things for most/any of the various options I've seen.
If any of them fall short, you've just sunk that decade into something that will be rejected by the majority of consumers.

And any/all of these points could be enough to cost a either party their viability if the Moon-esque effort were a failure.

In a perfect world, I'd love it if a satisfactory alternative were found, but
honestly, I really believe you are way off-base thinking its even remotely realistic.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Arles

Well, he's tried to improve domestic production and remove some of the red tape in producing refineries in his energy plan. You know, the one that still hasn't passed the Senate because of democratic opposition?

Ah, I was (mistakenly) under the impression that it went through. Is it also a case where the House bill & Senate bill are far enough apart to cause problems, or is my side just blocking it on general principles?

Edit: Nevermind, I just read Farrah's followup. :o @ Arles.

Now, the republicans haven't been as hard on oil production either because they are terrified that it makes them look like they are in the pocket of "big oil", so they've let many of the problems fester and deserve some of the blame as well.

People need to start realizing that while investing and doing research/tax breaks for alt fuels is a great thing (both Clinton and Bush have spent a ton here), the practical solutions are decades away. So, in the interim, we can't just say we will "conserve" away all our oil problems. There has to be an effort put into domestic production and refining to get us to the year 2025 or whenever the practical alt-fuels solutions are ready.

That's just the kind of analysis I was looking for when I asked. Thanks. I especially agree with the part I bolded.

On the tax break issue - I have a hard time justifying tax breaks for oil companies to do research into alternate fuels (or alternate methods of acquiring oil). I understand that it's one of the few ways to get companies to think proactively (instead of their next quarterly report), but it does seem a bit odd when said companies are currently making money hand over fist. Is there another justification I'm missing?

Edit: In response to Farrah - I don't have a problem with normalizing depreciation rates, if they're kept within the bounds of reality. I can't say whether or not the bill does that, but if you want to tell me that it does in fact do that, and does it rationally, I'll go ahead and believe you. As I said above, though, it's the outright tax breaks and grants for research with which I am uncomfortable.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

flere, go read up on the regulations imposed on the industry in terms of exploratory drilling, crude oil drilling and production, pipeline transportation, refineries, storage, gasoline pump stations, etc. etc. These all have been in place before the "oil man" got to office and it all takes an act of Congress to change (which they have been reluctant to do).

Bucc, do you have some links or some dates/Congresses you can refer to so I can narrow my search? Did this all come in under Clinton, or does this predate him?

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by CamEdwards

Bucc and Arles, that's crap and you know it.

We're talking about BusHitler here. He doesn't need the approval of Congress. He just snaps his finger and *poof!*, it is so.

Besides, even if he DOES need Congress, he has Karl Rove and his Mind-Control Ray to take care of the pesky opposition.

You know, I read posts like this and I wonder why I even bother to respond. Thankfully both Arles & Buccaneer responded before you did.

Cam, are you in the business of intentionally seeking to end meaningful discussions?

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

You know, I read posts like this and I wonder why I even bother to respond. Thankfully both Arles & Buccaneer responded before you did.

Cam, are you in the business of intentionally seeking to end meaningful discussions?

It's his job, so, yeah...

SI

[JeeberD]

From another board...lord knows how reliable it is but I thought that I would pass it on.

Originally Posted by Supermac34

My wife works for an oil man and all their experts are saying gas will move back down to the $2.50 range in 7-10 days...then as they start getting power back to the pipelines and refineries in the Gulf Coast it will relax another $0.10 or so.

After that, the EPA mandated summer formula for gas ends for the year and prices should go down even more.

They were predicting gas prices to hover around $1.90 - $2.10 for the rest of the winter before rising again next summer.

This trend would continue for 2-3 years...they are then predicting a pretty sharp drop in oil and gas at that time with prices stabilizing at what Americans consider "normal."

[flere-imsaho]

My wife tells me it's $3.40 in the greater Chicago area (I'm not at home right now, which is why it comes from her, not me).

Of course, that varies widely. In Chicago proper, you're paying about 4 different taxes, all of them high, when you buy gas. Plus, they know they have a captive audience, so they gouge you (or at least did two summers ago - there was an investigation).

Anywhere else in Cook County it's also high, because of the high Cook County taxes (one of the taxes paid in Chicago as well). But once you get outside of the suburban counties it drops quite a bit.

I'm sure you all appreciate this useless info....

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Bucc, do you have some links or some dates/Congresses you can refer to so I can narrow my search? Did this all come in under Clinton, or does this predate him?

To my knowledge there's been no new refineries built in the US in the past 30 years, while several have shut down. The issue is two fold, the red tape in getting a refinery approved, and the risk factor (refineries produce some seriously nasty off-gasses which when released can explode, or even worse produce toxic clouds which could wipe out nearby residents). Associated with the risk factor is the high costs of extra preventive measures and fines imposed by the regulatory committees.

And you can't build refineries in remote areas in general, as you need access to crude (i.e. ports, unless you live in Alaska) which are located in popluated areas, and you need access to markets (to sell the gas/jet/wax/etc...). At the end of the day, the profits of a new refinery are crushed by the costs of building a refinery and running it / paying for mishaps. To be sure a refinery is a complex chemical plant, and just the costs of building crude oil storage tanks alone is huge.

To give you an idea of the red-tape. About 10 years ago I worked in a refinery in California. At that time there was a government mandate that you had to put MTBE in fuel (a chemical that supposedly resulted in cleaner burning emmissions). The refinery had to build a new plant to produce this chemical or else it would have to shut down based on California law. So about 100 million dollars (I can't recall the exact figure) was to be spent on building this new plant, but the local community/activists blocked the building of the plant because it would "harm the environment" (legally blocked as part of the environmental impact study btw). Keep in mind it was the same environmentalists asking for the MTBE. Well long story short, it took over a year and several "payments" to the community in terms of new multi million dollar Martin Luther King community centers, etc.. etc... just to be able to comply with the law. I know that's California, but that's for just one small addition and that's just one of the regulatory hoops that had to be jumped through. Play out the scenario anywhere in the US with an entire refinery ... and you get some idea of the red-tape issues with building a new refinery from scratch.

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

From another board...lord knows how reliable it is but I thought that I would pass it on.

Interesting. Wonder what is supposed to happen in 2-3 years that would drive down prices further. Sounds like they're reasonably sure of it.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by Wolfpack

Interesting. Wonder what is supposed to happen in 2-3 years that would drive down prices further. Sounds like they're reasonably sure of it.

It could coincide with bringing Iraq back up to full production, or else they're probably basing it on bringing newly identified oil reserves up to their full extraction capabilities in a couple of years.

[Arles]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

The one offering $25 billion in subsidies to the world's most profitable industry ? (though that's not his fault - that's the senate and the House (and De Lay in particular) being the schmucks that they are - do he did sign it.) Arlie, people need to learn to adjust their habits- stop buying gas guzzling SUV's. People like to whine about oil prices, but index oil to inflation from a time since production got started on an industrial level, and its cheap. Gas is simply more high profile than bread, for example - and its price is more volatile - and people react to it. Look, if you were dumb enough to buy an SUV because you thought gas was going to be a dollar per gallon forever, you reap what you sow - I have sympathy for people with kids and what not, but too many people think that $1 or $1.50 gas is the usual price level -its not.

You do realize that a vast majority of people bitching about the price of gas do not own SUVs, right?

Plus, the problem is currently domestic refining capacity, not sheer amounts of crude oil. This is something we can fix if people will agree to start removing all this red tape from the process.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by Arles

You do realize that a vast majority of people bitching about the price of gas do not own SUVs, right?

Plus, the problem is currently domestic refining capacity, not sheer amounts of crude oil. This is something we can fix if people will agree to start removing all this red tape from the process.

Agreed. I bitch about gas all the time, and my cars get pretty good mileage. I don't own an SUV.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

Agreed. I bitch about gas all the time, and my cars get pretty good mileage. I don't own an SUV.

Although I do kinda snicker now adays when I see someone driving one of those big obnoxious Hummers.

[st.cronin]

I decided today to buy a one month bus pass. I am going to estimate how much driving I usually do in a month, figure $0.40 per mile (based on IRS regs), and tally up the difference and send a check to the red cross for the victims of Katrina.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by moriarty

Although I do kinda snicker now adays when I see someone driving one of those big obnoxious Hummers.

I have a favorite story involving one of those. Lawrence has a real problem with people running red lights. I'm in the turn lane to head to campus and the line is long so I didn't figure I would make it. It turns red two cars ahead me but that doesn't dissuade this giant yellow Hummer in front of me who guns the engine to make it through the intersection. So, I watch it in a "hm.. wonder if someone going the other way is going to hit it" and it takes a quick right into a parking lot which happens to be for this place called Priscilla's, an adult paraphernalia store. And out of the Hummer steps this tiny girl who couldn't have been 5' tall and I just couldn't help but think "Wow, overcompensate much?"

SI

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Arles

You do realize that a vast majority of people bitching about the price of gas do not own SUVs, right?

The fun part is, I looked into buying a minivan, and their gas milage isn't much better (if at all, maybe 1-2 MPG). But no one gripes about gas-guzzling minivans, only about the SUVs. Minivans have the same "light truck" exemption as SUVs, and so most of the same issues, but no one wants to scream about them. SUV-envy is so pathetic...

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

The fun part is, I looked into buying a minivan, and their gas milage isn't much better (if at all, maybe 1-2 MPG). But no one gripes about gas-guzzling minivans, only about the SUVs. Minivans have the same "light truck" exemption as SUVs, and so most of the same issues, but no one wants to scream about them. SUV-envy is so pathetic...

I'd like to see numbers on that. I refuse to believe that a lightweight V6 2WD minivan isn't going to be remarkably better on gas than some V8 (or larger) 4WD Suburban, Escalade, etc...

I have no SUV envy. If money were not an option, I'd still buy the minivan - much easier getting three kids in and out of one of those.

[Greyroofoo]

Originally Posted by govols

Knoxville, TN

Wasn't it just about 10 years ago that gas was under $1 a gallon ?

I remember paying under a dollar for gas in 2001.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

I'd like to see numbers on that. I refuse to believe that a lightweight V6 2WD minivan isn't going to be remarkably better on gas than some V8 (or larger) 4WD Suburban, Escalade, etc...

I agree. The Honda Odyssey, for instance, gets 20/28.

I have no SUV envy. If money were not an option, I'd still buy the minivan - much easier getting three kids in and out of one of those.

Plus, you can generally fit more cargo in a minivan due to the lower ride height.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

I'd like to see numbers on that. I refuse to believe that a lightweight V6 2WD minivan isn't going to be remarkably better on gas than some V8 (or larger) 4WD Suburban, Escalade, etc...

I have no SUV envy. If money were not an option, I'd still buy the minivan - much easier getting three kids in and out of one of those.

It all depends on the class of each. I was poking around on www.fueleconomy.gov and it's hard to guage the average for SUVs because everything from the aforementioned Escalade (13/17) and Suburban (15/19) to PT Cruisers (21/27) count as an SUV. But my wife's PT fits 4 comfortably and that's about it, hardly an SUV. The Dodge Caravan, which is the US's best selling minivan gets 20/26. The 2nd and 3rd best are Toyota Sienna (19/26) and the Honda Odyssey (20/28). You gain anywhere from 3-10 mpgs for a large vehicle (ie something that fits more than 5 people). Then there are little 4 person SUV's but even those only get 13/18-17/21ish and that begs the question that if you're getting an SUV just for 4 people why not get a vehicle that fits 4 comfortably but gets better mileage than an SUV.

SI

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

I agree.

Holy crap... flere and I agree on something. Somebody go thaw out Satan...

[CamEdwards]

All right, just did an interview with Dan Gilligan, President of the Petroleum Marketers Association of America.

Short summary:

both Colonial and Plantation pipelines are up. Colonial's going to be at 60% capacity by the weekend, will be at full capacity as soon as power's restored in substations. Plantation's up as of about an hour ago. No word on capacity, but since it orginates in MS, there shouldn't be a lot of substations that are without power. The LOOP is up and running as well, so offshore crude can be unloaded and sent to refineries.

That's the good news. The bad news is about 9 refineries are down, and while some of them could be up and running in a matter of weeks, who knows where the work force is going to come from.

Gilligan felt, but couldn't state with a great deal of confidence, that gas prices will be high for the next two-three weeks, then would settle down. If there are problems getting refineries up and running, that could be delayed.

I asked him if we could be looking at 1977-1980 style gas lines for a few months (which is not a worst case scenario for me) and he said "Oh God, I hope not." He seemed to view that as an absolute worst case scenario, which oddly enough, made me feel better.

Rationing is occuring from the distributors, but I think the lowest it's gotten is 70% allocation (meaning they're giving the retailers 70% of what they got at this time last year). Now that the pipelines are up and running, those numbers shouldn't dip too much further (although again, it's really up to the refineries).

[A-Husker-4-Life]

This is crazy, Monday I fillup 2.45/gal in NP then went to Omaha,neb until today and I paid 3.29 there..WOW Man, I had to fill both tanks in my truck, this is the 1st time I have ever did that.... Got to stockup alittle bit but damn I see it going to aleast 4-5 dollars a gal.... This is so wierd, I watch that "Oil Storm" show on FX a while back and no shit it's going on everything in that show is true... So Wierd.... Did anyone else see that show...

[wbatl1]

Just passed 3 stations on Peachtree ( a main throughofare in Atlanta) that were out of gas. Prices in the low 3's, but no gas.

[RailsFS]

Metro Detroit today: every station I've seen is around $3.30

[Yellow5]

Tacoma, Washington -- $2.86 is the average I have seen.

Our house has oil heat and I called today to get my tank topped off before the prices get too bad. They couldn't quote me a price because the price is going up by the hour. Will update once I see how much it takes to top it off, and what the cost will be.