Midwest Refinery Flooding Causes Jump at the Pump

Washington, DC–A recent refinery issue has caused a surge in gas prices ahead of Labor Day weekend. The national average for a gallon of regular went up more than 7 cents this past week to $3.21 mainly due to flooding at BP Whiting Refinery in Indiana. The largest refinery in the Midwest shut down operations for several days following a severe thunderstorm. As a result, states in the Great Lakes region saw an increase in gas prices, but they may get some relief soon now that the refinery is back online. Overall, summer gas prices have remained steady and should trend downward as the fall season begins. But the incident in Whiting underscores the futility of predicting gas prices. Mother Nature and geopolitical events can suddenly and unexpectedly impact fuel prices. 

 The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station stayed the same this past week at 36 cents. 

For the complete fuel report, including the latest EIA data, state gas and EV charging price trends, and oil market dynamics, please visit AAA Fuel Site.