![This holiday weekend price hike marks the 17th week this year of rising fuel prices for Washingtonians, following the implementation of the new carbon tax earlier this year.](https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Large_Clark-County-Today-Washington-fuel-prices-spike-over-holiday-weekend.jpg)
This holiday weekend price hike marks the 17th week this year of rising fuel prices for Washingtonians, following the implementation of the new carbon tax earlier this year
Timothy Schumann
The Center Square Washington
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded was sitting at $4.68 statewide on Monday, up from $4.60 the week prior according to AAA data.
This holiday weekend price hike marks the 17th week this year of rising fuel prices for Washingtonians, following the implementation of the new carbon tax earlier this year.
This eight cent per gallon increase moved with the national average – albeit at a faster pace – which increased from $3.54 to $3.58 per gallon over the same time period.
“The rise in demand for gasoline is helping to push pump prices higher for now, but the increase is mitigated by the low cost of oil, which is wobbling around in the low $70s per barrel. Pump prices could stabilize or fall once this long weekend is in the rearview mirror,” said AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross in a statement.
Residents of the Evergreen State have to dig deeper into their wallets than most. Washington’s pump prices currently stand at third most expensive nationally, with only California and Hawaii being more expensive filling out first and second on the list.
This change from the week prior knocks Arizona off the top three most expensive markets nationally, where fuel prices fell from $4.62 to $4.53 per gallon over the previous week.
Washington’s $4.68 per gallon places it $1.10 per gallon higher than the national average of $3.58 per gallon. It is also $1.69 per gallon above the nation’s least expensive fuel costs of $2.99 per gallon, currently paid by Mississippi residents.
In Washington intra-state variance remains high at $1.09 per gallon, though down 10 cents per gallon from the week prior. The outliers this week, again San Juan and Asotin counties, represent the most and least expensive gas prices statewide at $5.16 and $4.07 per gallon respectively.
This price variance still largely follows the Cascade Range, with residents to the west paying a higher premium at the pump than residents to the east.
Some state policy experts think there’s a legislative component to the relatively high cost of Washingtonians fuel, as previously reported by The Center Square, citing the state’s new cap-and-trade carbon tax program implemented Jan 1st of this year.
However, the full effect of this program has yet to be seen, as there has only been one carbon auction to date.
With the registration closed for the second auction as of May 1st, and all bids due in by May 19th, we should be seeing the results of the May 31st auction on fuel pricing soon.
Results from this auction will be announced on June 7th.
This report was first published by The Center Square Washington.
Also read:
- Harvest Days in Battle Ground coming up July 19-21The Battle Ground Festivals Association is preparing for three days of celebration, including a car cruise on Friday night, a parade on Saturday, and fireworks on Saturday night at Harvest Days.
- Organizers looking for cars for Cruise to the Shoug show on Aug. 454-40 Brewing Co. is hosting Cruise to the Shoug on Aug. 4 as a fundraiser for the Camas-Washougal Community Chest, and organizers are looking for car owners to book their spots for the show.
- Trump picks Ohio’s J.D. Vance for vice presidentFormer President Donald Trump picked U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, to serve as his vice president should Trump beat President Joe Biden this November for another term in the White House.
- Children with disabilities make memories at the 24th annual Merwin Day of FishingOn Saturday (July 13), Pacific Power and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife joined together to host a memorable fishing event for children with disabilities at the Merwin Fish Hatchery near Woodland.
- Letter: For the public record and the Comprehensive PlanIn a July 12 letter to the Clark County Council, Clark County Citizens United President Susan Rasmussen shares that primary stakeholders were ignored in the Wetland and Habitat Ordinance Conservation Covenant.
- CASE DISMISSED: Classified documents case against Trump thrown out by judgeA federal judge in Florida dismissed the classified documents-related criminal case against former President Donald Trump on Monday, saying the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution.
- Photos: Log show and parade at Territorial Days 2024 in AmboyTerritorial Days in Amboy never disappoints, and this weekend brought all kinds of activities in logging country, and Clark County Today had a photographer there to capture images from the annual parade and log show.