Here we go again. Local gas prices rising three to four cents every day. These companies are not getting fuel delivers every day. By the way I just checked Seattle gas prices on line. I’ll use Safeway since we have one here in Juneau; $4.09 per gallon for regular in Seattle. It costs a nickel a gallon to deliver gas from Seattle to Juneau. Interesting mark up.
Jim Pound
Auke Bay
Comments (4)
Add commentRefiners had not raised prices when this occurred
I talked to an economist recently, who said she'd been talking to refiners in Washington state. They said that they had not raised their prices at the time of the discussion - that it was the stations themselves at least in western Washington. Sounds as if there is some speculation going on. Of course, now that refineries are reducing capacity for the annual spring cleaning, looks like we're going to get our wallets cleaned some more.
Price only part of the issue
Everyone seems content to discuss the outrageous high gas prices. I think we are missing the point. Yes they are high- gas doesn't grow on trees- it is nonrenewable! So what sense does it make to lower the price? It seems people are finally discussing alternatives as important, but few seem to be taking real steps to cut their consumption of fossil fuels. Generations from now people will be talking about our selfishness and lack of foresight in the face of so much information.
On the subject of selfishness
If you had a 1000 gallon tank on your vehicle, what would it cost to fill it up? You can choose to drive less and there are other forms of transportation. We in the Interior and Rural Alaska cannot afford to heat our homes or generate electricity. For every gallon of fuel we buy, the State of Alaska makes $2.86. We have TAPS running through our backyard and two refineries within twelve miles and we have the highest energy costs in the nation. Electricity is 23.5 cents per kwh. It is .07 in Anchorage. In Anchorage they pay $8.60 for mmbtu of natural gas. A million btu's of fuel oil is over $31.00 now. Of that $31.00, the State of Alaska gets $20.56. It is time for the State to temporarily suspend it's take on Royalty In Kind oil that is used for home heating and electrical generation.