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Going Up Again: Look for gas prices to rise over next few months, AAA says
Journal Photo by Walt Unks
Anthony Lee changes the prices on the sign at Interstate Shell in Clemmons. Locally, gas is more than $2 a gallon.
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Published: March 31, 2009
Local gas prices passed the $2 mark in Forsyth County yesterday as refineries shut down to prepare for the annual switch to summer gasoline blends.
At least one station in Clemmons is selling regular unleaded gas for $2.09 a gallon and one in Winston-Salem has a $2.02 price. Many stations in the area are at $1.99.
But the average price of regular unleaded gas in the Triad reached the $2 mark, up 17 cents from a month ago, according to AAA Carolinas.
"Basically what we are seeing is that the refineries are switching over to their cleaner fuel that is required by law for the summer months," said Brendan Byrnes, a spokesman for AAA Carolinas. "They're having to cut production as they are retooling their factories. So a lot of this is just what we normally see this time of year as they get ready for increased demand over the spring break and summer travel time."
Byrnes said that the cleaner fuel simply costs more to make and refine and that factories also have to cut their supplies when they close down parts of their operations to make the changeovers.
AAA expects prices to continue to rise over the next three months, possibly reaching $2.50 a gallon in the heart of summer.
"That's the outer limit if we see people back to their normal travel habits, unlike last year," Byrnes said.
He said he does not expect the $4-a-gallon gas of summer 2008.
Crude oil prices, which have been fluctuating for weeks, fell below $49 a barrel yesterday, despite the rise in gas prices.
The Associated Press reported that unease about the economy is raising doubts about the demand for energy around the world.
■ Fran Daniel can be reached at 727-7366 or at fdaniel@wsjournal.com.
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