News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Gas prices are at an average of $3.46 a gallon in Tennessee right now, 36 cents higher than a month ago.
AAA Spokesperson Megan Cooper said there are points in the year when gas prices often routinely spike, with summer being one of those times. However, she said the current spike is larger than most, and people are starting to take notice.
“Gas prices affect every part of our life, so when gas prices do increase it can have an effect on your commuting and how much you’re paying for pretty much anything, Cooper said.”
Cooper said over half of the monetary value of the current spike can be attributed to the increase in crude oil prices. She said that gas prices should revert pretty quickly.
As mentioned above, the other major factor in the overall increase is the summertime heat. Johnson said production depots often struggle to run their machinery consistently during this time, leading to a supply shortage.
“Our gas here in Tennessee comes from the Gulf Coast refineries, so Texas/Louisiana area,” Cooper said. “With the extreme heat we’ve been having, those refineries simply cannot keep up the normal output that they do under normal temperature conditions.”
Cooper said she expects the prices to drop back to normal levels over the next several weeks as the crisis resolves, fall returns, and students return to school (which lowers demand).
In the meantime, Cooper said people should keep their cars properly maintained, pay attention to stations where prices are lower, and try to combine their errands to spend less time on the road.
