Idaho gas prices remain stable despite Hurricane Ida
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The following is a news release from AAA Idaho.
IDAHO FALLS — So far, the devastation caused by Hurricane Ida has been limited to the Gulf Coast region, with little change in the price of gas since the hurricane made landfall. While regional shutdowns and infrastructure damage could drive up the national average over the next few weeks, AAA currently projects a lesser impact here in Idaho.
“Hurricanes are like throwing a rock into a pond. The ripples are very disruptive at the point of impact, but get smaller as they spread farther out,” says AAA Idaho spokesman Matthew Conde. “There’s no question that Ida has wreaked havoc, and the effects of shuttered refineries and oil rigs in the Gulf could be substantial in some areas, but hopefully we won’t feel it as much here.”
Today, Idaho’s average price for regular is $3.80, the same as a week ago and two cents higher than a month ago. Meanwhile, the U.S. average currently sits at $3.15, which is a penny less than a week ago and two cents less than a month ago. Prices in Louisiana jumped slightly over the weekend as drivers stocked up on fuel ahead of the storm.
Hurricane Ida has left more than a million people in Louisiana and Mississippi without power and has taken about 13% of U.S. refining capacity offline. There were nine refineries in Ida’s path; at least four are believed to have temporarily shut down. As an added precaution, the Colonial Pipeline shut down two main lines that run from Houston, TX, to Greensboro, NC. Both distribute fuel products across the southeast U.S.
About 95% of the Gulf’s crude oil production was shuttered, with 288 of the 560 manned offshore platforms in the area evacuated. Refineries and oil rigs can take weeks to come back online.
“Prices at the pump have been pretty calm lately, but they could fluctuate a bit in the run-up to Labor Day,” Conde said. “It’s too early to know the full extent of the hurricane damage, and how it will impact crude oil and gas supplies down the road, but in any case, demand is going to be fairly strong in most parts of the country this week. People are going to keep traveling until the weather turns or until school obligations or COVID-19 restrictions make it less possible to do so.”
Here’s a selection of Idaho gas prices as of Aug. 30:
- Boise – $3.92
- Coeur d’Alene – $3.47
- Franklin – $3.84
- Idaho Falls – $3.76
- Lewiston – $3.52
- Pocatello – $3.82
- Twin Falls – $3.88