Tennessee residents are paying higher prices for gas, but not as much as residents in other states.
This, according to AAA spokeswoman Megan Cooper, who told The Tennessee Star in an email Friday that the Volunteer State is currently the ninth least expensive market for gasoline in the nation.
Friday’s state average of $2.28 is 22 cents less expensive than the national average, Cooper said.
The average cost of gasoline in Nashville Friday was $2.31. The average price in Nashville exactly one year ago was $2.22 a gallon. In Chattanooga, meanwhile, Friday’s average was $2.22, and a year ago it was $2.07, according to AAA data.
Tennessee’s most expensive metro markets for gasoline on Friday were in Nashville, Memphis, and Jackson. The state’s least expensive markets were in Chattanooga, Kingsport, and Johnson City, the AAA data went on to say.
This week’s higher gas prices did not escape the notice of Metro Nashville At-Large Council member Steve Glover.
Glover, on Facebook, posted a photo of a gas station charging $2.29 a gallon.
“In less than a month gas has moved from roughly $1.69 to today’s pricing; and this was the lowest I found,” Glover wrote.
“New DC motto. Happy you better be or we’ll move it to $3.”
Cooper told The Star that crude oil prices affect what people pay at the pump.
“Last week, crude oil prices jumped $4 per barrel over the previous week to nearly $57 per barrel – the most expensive crude oil pricing we’ve seen since January 2020. At the close of Thursday’s formal trading session crude oil prices settled at $58.24,” Cooper said.
“There are several factors affecting the crude oil market. Globally, there is hope that continued production cuts from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and its allies will create a fuel supply deficit through 2021. The market is also optimistic that the coronavirus vaccine could potentially provide a return to travel in 2021, which could help crude demand recover this year. Additionally, the anticipated stimulus bill is expected to put more money in Americans’ pockets, which could encourage spending.”
Cooper also said “it’s very likely that we will see pump prices begin to trickle upward in response over the next few weeks.”
California gasoline prices reached the highest they’ve been since March 9, 2020, hitting $3.27 a gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
As reported, California gas prices are roughly 66 cents more than average price paid by consumers nationwide.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
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