Good News for Your Summer Road Trip

Lowest prices in 6 years are predicted—a $2.45-per-gallon average
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 8, 2015 6:50 AM CDT
Good News for Your Summer Road Trip
Gas is pumped into a car at a filling station Dec. 18, 2014, in Pennsauken, NJ.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Not since 2009 have we seen the gas prices that industry experts are expecting this summer driving season—but in a good way. Per a US Energy Department forecast, gas will cost an average of $2.45 for a gallon of regular between April and September, typically the nation's busiest driving season, the Los Angeles Times reports. That's almost a third less than the $3.59 from the same period a year ago. Part of the drop is driven by an abundance of US petroleum this year, with the cost per barrel of crude oil expected to fall from $107 last summer to just $58 this summer. "We're on pace to have one of the lowest-priced summer driving seasons in a while," says an analyst.

The only state that may lag behind on cheap gas is California, where a nationwide worker strike and facility explosion marred workflow at two major refineries. Even so, the government is expecting the West Coast price-per-gallon to fall from last summer's average of $3.93 to $2.82, per the Times. Another possible development that could cause gas prices to drop even more: sanctions against Iran being lifted if a final nuclear agreement is reached, the Times notes. (Gas dropped below $2 a gallon a few months ago).

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