Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Talk about pain at the pump.
Utah's average price of gas soared to about $5.01 per gallon, clearing the $5 average for the first time Thursday, according to AAA. It's a 48% increase from the average price of gas this time a year ago, or an additional $1.63 per gallon.
The price surge began in late Feburary and early March; gas prices jumped 41 cents in the first week after Russia invaded Ukraine, the motor club reported at the time. The rise then pushed the national average above $4 for the first time since 2008. The average price is now just a few cents shy of $5 per gallon.
Patrick De Haan, Gasbuddy's head petroleum analyst, pointed out on Twitter at the time that an "energy crunch" in other foreign countries also bumped up gas prices just ahead of the March surge after the price of gas plummeted in 2020 as a result of low demand created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Utah officially broke its gas price record on March 10, which is when prices rose to $4.30. It's been on the rise ever since, showing no signs of slowing down.
Certain regions of the state are feeling the greatest effects of the surge. Gas is $5.31 per gallon in Piute County, however, most of the highest gas prices are in southern Utah. Garfield ($5.18), Beaver ($5.14) and Kane ($5.14) counties are all in the top five in highest gas prices, while Washington County ($5.12) just missed the list. Rich County, at $5.25 per gallon in northeast Utah, is the lone exception on the list, as it has the second-highest prices in the state.
Eastern Utah continues to hold most of the lowest prices. With an average cost of $4.91, gas is the cheapest in Sanpete County. It's followed by Daggett ($4.93), Sevier ($4.94), Emery ($4.94) and Uintah ($4.95) counties.
According to AAA, Utahns have to travel to Georgia to find the cheapest gas; the Peach State's average price of gas is about $4.41 per gallon. Meanwhile, the average cost is $6.40 per gallon in California — 81 cents above the next most expensive state, Nevada.
Utah Rep. Burgess Owens responded to Utah's new record Thursday on social media Thursday, calling on Biden to "take action and unleash U.S. energy independence." It mirrors a letter that Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed in March with 24 other Republican governors, calling on the president to "restore American energy independence."
Various environmental groups and conservation organizations countered the letter at the time, arguing that rising fuel prices are why the U.S. needs to find alternatives to fossil fuels. They added that they believe resuming operations in the U.S. won't make a difference in prices aside from helping major oil companies generate more profits.
