Gas Prices Skyrocket In NorCal: Highest, Lowest Prices In Dublin

DUBLIN, CA — Following a brief stint of falling fuel prices in California, the average price for a regular gallon of gas shot up by 15 cents in just 24 hours on Thursday and then another 11 cents on Friday, according to the American Automobile Assn.

In Alameda County, the price of a gallon of regular gas cost residents $6.40 on Friday — much higher than the state's average of $6.29. In Dublin, the cheapest regular gas could be found at an A&A station at 7840 Amador Valley Blvd. for $5.39, while some of the priciest regular gas could be found at a Shell station at 5833 Dougherty Rd. for a whopping $6.89, according to GasBuddy.

The state reveled in a nearly 100-day string of lowering prices, but that streak was broken earlier this month and gas prices have been on the rise ever since. AAA officials have cited tight supply at refineries across the West Coast and Midwest.

"A string of planned and unplanned refinery maintenance issues has severely tightened fuel supply in California," said Doug Shupe, the Automobile Club of Southern California's corporate communications manager.

West Coast fuel inventories are at the lowest level in about a decade, according to the Energy Information Administration.

"Until the refineries are fully operational again, supply is going to be tight and will cause pump prices to be volatile," Shupe said.

Hurricane Ian still managed to impact gas prices, even though it was downgraded to a tropical storm. Distribution became limited in impacted areas due to a lack of electricity and flooded roads and highways, AAA reported.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday also warned oil and gas companies against increasing prices for consumers as Hurricane Ian lashed Florida’s southwest coast.

“Do not, let me repeat, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people,” Biden said at the start of a conference on hunger in America and just hours before the hurricane made landfall as a massive Category 4 storm.

There may be "some relief" in November when stations are again allowed to sell winter-blend gas which is cheaper to produce, Shupe told City News Service.

The national average price rose for the ninth consecutive day following a 98-day streak of decreases totaling $1.34, increasing 1.7 cents to $3.78. It has risen 10.8 cents over the past nine days, including 1.8 cents Wednesday.

The national average price is 9.8 cents more than one week ago and 59.4 cents higher than one year ago but 6.8 cents less than one month ago. The national average price is $1.234 less than the record $5.016 set June 14.

Many energy analysts believe that prices are more likely to rise than fall in the next few months. However, changes in sentiment about the economy, Russia's war against Ukraine, and even hurricane season — always a threat to disrupt refineries along the Gulf Coast — make predictions uncertain.

“I suspect that we will see choppy prices for gasoline through year's end, with some down days and up days,” said Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service.

Kloza predicted that the next streak will be a run of price increases early next year, driven by investors, speculators and “the fear that there won’t be enough fuel to go around.”

The surge in prices caused financial pain for families and a political headache for both Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Biden administration.

In the Golden State, gas rebate checks, dubbed the Middle Class Tax Refund, were expected to start hitting bank accounts in October to help offset costs raised by inflation and trends in global oil.

READ MORE: CA Giving Away $9.5B Next Month: What To Know

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.