The Automobile Club of Southern California has announced that gas prices in certain regions of California have increased for the fifth consecutive week. This information is based on the Auto Club’s Weekend Gas Watch report for the week of September 18.
According to the Automobile Club, as of September 18, the average price for self-serve regular gasoline in California was $4.65 per gallon. This marks an increase of two cents from the previous week but is 12 cents lower than a year ago. Regional averages were reported as $4.73 in Los Angeles-Long Beach, $4.737 in San Diego, $4.66 on the Central Coast, $4.60 in Riverside, and $4.58 in Bakersfield, indicating small weekly increases and mixed year-over-year changes.
Doug Shupe, a spokesperson for the Auto Club, said that “according to Oil Price Information Service (OPIS), the Phillips 66 refinery in Wilmington and Carson has begun permanently winding down operations there after announcing it would shut down by the end of this year.” Shupe added that “OPIS also reports that yesterday’s Energy Information Administration data shows West Coast refinery utilization rates are at a four-month low point.” He explained that “this lower level of activity is common at this time of year as demand drops and refineries begin the process of switching to produce winter blend gasoline that can be sold in pumps starting Nov. 1.”
As reported by AAA on September 20, Sacramento gas prices have risen compared with last month. Regular gasoline averaged $4.58 per gallon, midgrade at $4.83, premium at $5.04, and diesel at $5.22; however, all fuel types remain below prices from a year ago.
The Automobile Club of Southern California is part of the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and provides services to members across multiple counties in California including Inyo, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura. Founded in 1902 with about 1,500 members, AAA has expanded into a federation serving over 65 million members across North America offering services such as roadside assistance and travel planning.
