The highest gas prices in America.
For Connie Lear, driving even her hybrid car is a luxury she can rarely afford.
Lear lives in the rural town of June Lake, California, a picturesque community of 300 people near Yosemite National Park and the Nevada state line.
June Lake is part of Mono County, which has the highest average gas price in the United States.
“My husband and I were watching the news this morning, and it came on about $4 gas and I said, ‘Well, where are you? Ours is $7.50!’” she said, citing the price at the only gas station in her town. The Mono County average was $6.72 as of Monday, according to AAA.
Like many rural counties across the country, Mono County faces rising gas prices from a higher cost to transport fuel there, limited demand and reduced competition. But it’s also located in the state with the most expensive gas in the nation due to a combination of taxes, fees, regulations and the closure of many local refineries.
Gas prices are only getting higher as the US-Israel war with Iran drags on, up $1.14 nationally since the start of the war. In California, the cost is $1.29 higher.
OPEC liquids production is estimated to have now dropped >10 million barrels/day.
There seems to be a bunch of people here who think this is still no biggy. Covid was the largest demand shock in history. No longer.
Iranian oil is now more expensive than Brent crude. Buyers are now paying more for Iranian oil than the global benchmark, unlike the usual steep discounts
h/t Dyn-O-mite_Rocketeer