Current price of gas in Arizona 17 cents higher than this time last year

PHOENIX — There are a lot of things Arizonans can be thankful for this Thanksgiving, but gas prices aren’t one of them.

With a statewide average of $3.36 for a gallon of regular gasoline, Arizona’s current price is 17 cents higher than this time last year, according to AAA.

This amount also makes Arizona the sixth most expensive state for gas prices, the association reported.

Arizonans aren’t alone when it comes to rising gas prices, according to petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan.

“Now, we’re seeing about half of the nation’s states kind of be slightly above last year,” De Haan told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

Ranking above Arizona in AAA’s list of states with the highest gas prices are California ($4.68), Hawaii ($4.45), Washington ($4.19), Nevada ($3.92), Oregon ($3.79) and Alaska ($3.78).

What’s causing the high gas prices in Arizona?

“What’s happening in Arizona to cause prices now to be so much higher than last year really has to do with refining issues, which have dogged much of the West Coast for the last couple of months,” De Haan said.

One contributing factor is Phillips 66 shutting down its Los Angeles oil refinery, he added.

“That Southern California refinery feeds into Las Vegas and Phoenix,” De Haan said. “So the permanent shutdown of that Phillips 66 refinery in Los Angeles is problematic,” he said. There’s also been other refiners that have had maintenance issues in the last few weeks and that’s why prices have been elevated.”

Last month, a massive fire broke out at a Chevron refinery in the Los Angeles suburb of El Segundo.

“Thankfully, the increases were much tamer than expected. Some of that can be chalked up, ironically, to the fact that there have been so many refinery issues in the West Coast that there was already additional gasoline coming from as far away as Asia,” De Haan said.

“That additional supply showed up just in time for one of these refinery snags. So, supply was less challenged than anticipated due to the timely arrival of gasoline from as far away as Asia.”

It’s not all doom and gloom, however.

“Prices only jumped about 10 cents, thankfully below the 15 cents we thought,” De Haan said. “But since then, prices — after hitting $3.60 in Phoenix — are down to about $3.58 and the decreases should continue here into Thanksgiving. So, some good news for motorists in Arizona ahead of the holidays.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.

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