Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
By Conor Shine (contact) 
Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 | 2:01 p.m.
Troubles at California refineries in the past weeks have sent gas prices soaring in Northern Nevada, according to the AAA auto club’s monthly report.
Fuel prices in the southern part of the state saw smaller increases, but the average price of a gallon of gasoline in Nevada still rose to $3.93, a 12-cent increase compared last month.
Nationally, the average price dropped two cents to $3.82, which is still higher than the $3.40 consumers were paying for gas at this time last year.
A power outage last week at a refinery in southern California sent gas prices “through the roof” throughout the Golden State and in Northern Nevada, AAA said.
Drivers saw the average gas price in Reno jump 19 cents from last month, to $4.24.
In Sparks, a gallon of gasoline costs $4.28 on average, a 21-cent increase from last month and the highest price in the state.
Southern Nevada saw gas prices rise by a much smaller amount. In Las Vegas, fuel costs an average of $3.77 per gallon, a 7-cent increase from last month.
Gas prices averaged $3.78 per gallon in Henderson, a 7-cent increase, and $3.73 per gallon in North Las Vegas, a 9-cent increase.
Eureka, Calif., has the highest gas prices in the country at an average cost of $4.80, while prices in Los Angeles average $4.71, a 53-cent increase in the last month.
NOTICE TO ALL POLITICIANS!
Start drilling all over the USA! Build more refineries! Let's depend on our own Gas and oil and quit dancing to the tune of OPEC.
This increase was due to US OIL COMPANIES not having sufficient refining capacity. There is no shortage of crude oil to refine! No emergency drilling measures are required. We are swimming in Crude oil storage.
Our US OIL COMPANIES that make billions in profit have chosen to stop investing in refineries. Capitalism is at its finest here. The profit margins at refineries are so low most are running just above break even. Five have been shut down on the east coast. The OIL COMPANIES are making their killing in crude oil not refining. There is no excess or backup refining capacity available. So every time there is a hiccup.. we have a shortage issue. Which they also profit from due to the rise in prices.
Bush even offered them free land on old Military bases to build new refineries and there were no takers. We are purchasing more gas and diesel from overseas because of this.. so those that want to drill baby drill.. Where do you plan to refine the oil? Should the evil big Obama Government force oil companies to build refineries? Not according to the republicans.. so again they want to drill our way to independence.. a myth to start with.. but where are they planning to refine the oil they drill?
Capitalism and free markets have both good and bad aspects to them... this time its bad.. so pay up.. change your future vehicle and travel choices... its not going to get any better... and there are no plans to build any new refineries in the future.
I wonder if Mitt will try to use this as a message of Obama energy policy... while Obama uses Big Bird.. George Bush did try to give away old bases for refinery use, no takers..wonder why? Nobody wants one in their back yard and the hurdles of EPA red tape make them a bad investment.
It appears the EPA and government regulation have impeded refinery building, most refineries operating today have expanded, it is easier to expand your footprint then start fresh land, the smaller refineries have closed due to cuts of government subsides. The bottom line is it is cheaper to bring gas in from other countries with less regulation and the export of jobs and money to other countries will continue to grow. I do agree clean air is vital, but remember new cars have all kinds of smog control on them yet the EPA keeps messing with more clean air standards so there are about 50 different blends of gas they demand depending on the time of year and state you are in. Maybe it is time to reign in the EPA a notch to modern standards. If you do not want to read the whole thing skip to the bottom line. This is from 2007 so no fault of Obama but he should take notes..
http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba603
There are curretnly 23% more drilling rigs in operation in the U.S. than 4 years ago. There are also 23% less Petroleum Imports than 4 years ago.
Gas prices are due to the oil companies, not the government. They are making record profits and they are not going to stop that. They are in business and unless they are controlled the prices will continue to go up.
We run a free market system though so honestly the government should not be stepping in but they should be cutting any special tax deals or subsidies. The 2005 Energy bill gives the oil companies $2.8 Billion a year. They don't need it.
That $2.8 billion/year labels oil companies as moochers along with the 47% Romney was talking about. So long as the moochers are executives, owners and dividends to stockholders the GOP keep silent.
Obama's fault refinery caught fire and another had a power outage? Maybe blame the big corporations for not running their facilities right. Gulf oil spill, Obama did that or was it BP. ??
Good. The higher the better. Gets the low income and their junk, uninsured, smoke belching, oil slinging cars off the road..