Now that refiners have been given the go-ahead to process a less expensive
fuel blend, the average price of gasoline in California should go down about 15
cents a gallon. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
California Governor Jerry
Brown is taking action in an effort to drive down the cost of gasoline as the
state’s drivers cope with record-breaking prices at the pump.
For the third straight day
Monday, the statewide average price for a gallon of regular rose to an all-time
high, hitting $4.668, according to AAA.
That topped Sunday's price
of $4.655 and Saturday's price of $4.6140, which broke the previous record high
of $4.6096 per gallon set on June 19, 2008.
Brown on Sunday ordered
state smog regulators to allow winter-blend gasoline to be sold in California
earlier than usual to bring down prices. Winter-blend gas typically isn't sold
until after Oct. 31. Few refineries outside the state are currently making
summer-blend gas, putting the pressure on already-taxed California
manufacturers.
Gary Kazanjian / AP
Luis Cuevas changes the gas prices at the Shell station off California State
Route 99 as truckers deal with rising gas prices in Fresno, Calif.
A temporary reduction in
supply has meant that in recent days California’s gas prices have surpassed
those in Hawaii to become the highest in the nation.
In some locations, fuming
motorists paid $5 or more per gallon while station owners had to shut down pumps
in others.
A station in Long Beach
had California's priciest gas at $6.65 for a gallon of regular, according to
GasBuddy.com. Meanwhile customers at an outlet in San Pablo paid just $3.49, the
lowest price in the state.
The average for a gallon
of regular was $4.69 in Los Angeles, $4.71 in San Diego and San Francisco, $4.55
in Sacramento and $4.90 in Santa Barbara, according to GasBuddy.com.
The average price for a
gallon of gas in the United States rose less than half a cent over the past two
weeks, masking a decline in most regions and a sharp spike in California prices,
according to a widely followed survey.
Gasoline prices averaged
$3.8375 on Oct. 5, up from $3.8338 on Sept. 21, Trilby Lundberg, editor of the
Lundberg Survey, said on Sunday.
Prices were down about 3
to 12 cents in most markets except the West, she said.
The
Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
