Renewable Energy Revolution

Bi-coastal revenge: our future is in California already

Your future in in California already
Most Stunning View in Town Is the One at the Pump

Yes, the lowest price on the California gas pump is $5.19.9 for regular.GORDA, Calif. — James Willman seems to be a nice enough guy: polite, good-humored and hard-working, pumping gas seven days a week at the Amerigo Gas Station. But at least once a day, Mr. Willman says, someone pulls in and starts cursing him.  “They say all kinds of stuff — ‘You ought to be shot,’ or ‘Where’s your mask?’ ” Mr. Willman said. “I’m like, ‘Hey, I just work here.’ ”

The reason for the consumer agita is that the station, on the Central Coast of California, is serving up what may be the costliest gas in the land. On Tuesday morning, as crude oil flirted with $110 a barrel and petrol prices set records nationwide, a gallon of regular at Amerigo was going for $5.20. Premium was fetching an eye-popping $5.40 a gallon, though Mr. Willman said that included a free copy of a local newspaper. (The newspaper was free anyway.)

“That’s the reason I walk to work,” said Mr. Willman, who lives about 50 feet up a hill from the station.... see in today's New York Times is here.

The rest of the story - Price per barrel hits another high at $110

Gas prices across the nation reached a record high Tuesday. The average price of regular unleaded is now almost $3.23 a gallon. This year high gas prices are rising about three months earlier than usual.

"We are seeing prices higher than ever before in March, it’s scary thinking about how high they will be," said Eric Escudero with AAA Colorado.

Already we are 60-cents ahead of where we were last year at this time.

"We've seen gas prices rise for four consecutive weeks in Colorado, it’s not good news for motorists," Escudero said.

So how high will prices go? AAA says 4-dollars is a possibility, but prices will likely peak between $3.50 and $3.75 he hopes.

"With oil hitting another all time record today at $110 a barrel that translates into gas prices rising," Escudero said.

And with summer just around the corner, the high prices may have some of us changing our vacation plans.  We'll certainly choose a destination within a single tabkful, about 350-450 miles.  Luckily for Cape Cod businesses that include a third of the US population.