Gas has become more expensive around the country, but Arizona is experiencing higher prices than the national average.
There are multiple factors at play keeping prices high for gas. Patrick De Haan with GasBuddy says high demand is one, but affecting Arizona specifically are problems at California refineries.
De Haan says certain areas of Arizona are supplied gas from more expensive and constrained markets, like California. He doesn’t expect prices to come down until 2022.
Nationally, prices are predicted to have the same fate.
Stephen Nalley, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, told a Senate committee global oil consumption is growing quickly, indicative of the economy getting back on track. However, global oil production is lagging — and still below pre-pandemic levels.
De Haan says the national average has seen a one penny decrease this week.
