Reader comments
Utah has 3rd-highest fuel cost as prices drop slowly

Where? | 1:07 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

Where are our elected officals, at least come out and explain to the people of Utah why our state ranks as one of the higest in gas prices. Have the guts to come out and face the people that voted you in office.

Are you serious? | 6:33 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

Are you really wondering where our elected officials are on this matter? I don't know about local officials, but our nationally elected officials are in the back pocket of the oil companies. What else could explain George W's failure to do anything about the issue? The economy is struggling and he's in Beijing playing around with the Olympic athletes.

Sorry to twist your stats.... | 7:19 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

Utah is not the fourth highest in gas prices, Utah is the THIRD highest in gas prices. Why? Because if you compare apples to apples, the reported average Utah price is for 85 octane grade junk gasoline. The rest of the nation is 87 octane.

Utah has too much corruption as stated by the lack of competition analogy in the story. Now thats a surprise.

Comments continue below

Lynny | 7:19 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

Other reports in this paper state that retailers are the reason gas prices are staying high in Utah. The are taking advantage of gleaning additional profits at this time.

If that is the case, I suggest we do just the opposite of what we do when gas retailers are keeping their profit margins pared to the bone. W STOP BUYING ADDITIONAL ITEMS IN THEIR CONVENIENCE STORES. When retailers make an effort to keep gas prices as low as possible, in return I will purchase that extra big gulp or whatever in their stores. There is no way will I condone anyone deliberately gouging us.

Item of concern | 9:09 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

IN the article it claimed we are an island with no waterways. There are how many refineries in NSL

bike it | 9:53 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

i filled up my bike this morning for 0 dollars.

There's a disturbing trend | 10:34 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

From my analysis, there's something fishy going on...maybe.

In the last 4 years in the Rocky Mountain Region (for all grades)...

every time national averages rose the Rocky Mountain area's prices lagged a little behind and when the national averages fell the Rocky Mountain prices lagged behind again.

For example, from 12/05-8/06 the national average was $2.62/gal and the Rocky Mountain region was $2.57. During this time both averages were gradually increasing until Rocky Mountain caught up in 8/06.

Then from 8/06-11/06 national was $2.45 and rocky $2.64 on average. During this time prices were falling.

From 2/07-4/07 national $2.51 rocky $2.46 average price as prices rose. From 2/07-10/07 national $2.95 rocky $3.03 as prices fell.

From 11/07-6/08 national $3.32 rocky $3.27 as prices have risen. From 6/08-8/08 national $4.02 rocky $4.10 as prices have begun to fall again.

It appears that Rocky Mtn. prices lag behind national prices generally but the lag as prices fall is slower than when prices rise. Some of the lag may be from natural causes specific to our region, but some may be from other factors. There could be some reasonable reason why they fall slower...or maybe not.

The Rock | 10:56 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

Known petrolium reserves in the US are sufficient to supply the entire country, at current levels, for 60 years minimum. This does not include the oil shale in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.

The ban on drilling on the OCS is rediculus. Katrina could not produce a single leak significant enough for the hyper environmentally sensitive media to report.

They have been telling us for 10 years that it would take 10 years to get any new domestic oil. The last time I checked most experts believe we will need oil in another 10 years as well.

Many politicians are on record as saying the oil is too cheap. They want to force us into a new form of energy. Our entire economy is built around oil. Millions of cars will use nothing but oil.

If they wanted us to make the transition to something else they should have started years ago by requiring that all autos be dual fuel capable.

These politicians are very bright: Shut off the supply of fuel and leave us with no alternative.

Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less...

Anonymous | 11:07 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

How is is that we have refineries in our state and someone can say it cost to much to get the gas here. The public is being held up by either the staition owners that are gouging us or the refineries that will not supply its own city with fuel. Someone needs to investigate this crime and help fix this problem.

Doug | 11:09 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

It is actually pretty simple. The gas stations are profit taking and until they feel like they must drop prices they won't. I suggest purchasing gas at stations that are usually the price followers (like the station that is usally 2-3 cents higher then other stations but is right now about the same). This way price leaders will have to drop their price to make up for the their short in demand.
Or quit whining and open up your own gas station. You could definatly lower the prices in the entire state by under cutting the price.

Jimmy | 11:15 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

maybe the gas stations around here are just catering to all of the people that have moved here from Southern California in recent years since they are used to paying more for gas. At least it seems logical since I had a Realtor tell me that the reason prices are so high in some parts of Utah County is that those places are popular among Californians moving here and those people will pay more because they are used to paying more.

bike it | 11:23 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

If I felt comfortable riding a bike from Heber to Salt Lake every day I would do it. I have to drive to survive. I am just waiting for a little more development in the bio-diesel field or natural gas and then I might make the switch.

Missing out | 12:48 p.m. Aug. 13, 2008

With crude prices heading higher again, Utah citizens will completely miss out on a small, brief respite in gas prices that other American's have seen. The claim that Utah is sparsely populated and lacking competition is ridiculous. How about the really rural states like Wyoming, Idaho, the Dakotahs, etc? Utah citizens are being taken advantage of because we have a very pro-business culture, pure and simple, and our laws are not conducive to the oversight of business affairs.

then move | 2:08 p.m. Aug. 13, 2008

nobody's forcing you to live in heber but commute to salt lake. i have no sympathy for you. so it's not that you have to "drive to survive", it's that you have to drive to support the lifestyle you've chosen.

life in the future will mean more americans will have to live closer to the things they do. like how the rest of the world does it already. the days of suburbia are coming to an end.

Simple explanation | 2:20 p.m. Aug. 13, 2008

Price gouging by the local gasoline retailers and/or local oil companies who are supplying the retailers.

Local oil companies who are pumping oil out of Utah, Wyoming and Idaho don't pay a nickle more per barrel of oil when oil goes up on the world market, yet they're very quick to raise their prices.

Then when oil prices fall, they use the excuse that they have to recover their costs for the gasoline manufactured with the higher-priced oil before they can lower gasoline prices.

Bottom-line. Simple economics. We need larger supplies of oil and legitimate alternative fuel options. Competition is the only long-term solution.

Re: Then move | 3:55 p.m. Aug. 13, 2008

The days of suburbia are not coming to an end. Statistically, most Americans change their jobs over a dozen times before retirement. Not everyone can live and work in downtown city centers since most city centers are completely built out and people cannot afford to move to a new house every time their job changes. The Wasatch Front is pretty compact compared to many metro areas, so I don't see so much of a problem with people living on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley and commuting 20 minutes to the east side or vice versa. The hour and half commutes in Los Angeles is a different matter. Even though we have suburbs in Utah, they are not nearly as spread out from city centers as in other metro areas such as Denver, where growth is geographically uninhibited to the east because of the flat land there. On the Wasatch, we are hemmed in by the Great Salt Lake, and the mountain ranges on the east and west sides of the Wasatch Front.

Drive less | 4:12 p.m. Aug. 13, 2008

If simple economics is the answer, then a reduction in demand for gasoline will bring the price down. How can we reduce the demand? Drive less. Take public transportation to work, even if it takes 15 minutes longer and costs about the same as driving. Take more modest vacations. If enough Utahns and Americans drive significantly less, it will bring the oil companies to their knees. Americans are their biggest client, and if the client buys significantly less because of the price, the price will come down. If you are able to drive less and do not do so, you are an irresponsible American, in my opinion.

Interesting.... | 4:16 p.m. Aug. 13, 2008

I've read several of these stories, and the comments withthem, but haven't, as yet, seem any comment from a gas station owner defending or explaining their prices. In this case, I'd have to say that silence equals guilt and that they are taking advantage of the situation.

Frank | 5:26 p.m. Aug. 13, 2008

I said it before and Ill say it again,
Drill here, Drill now, pay the same...

I dont know how people can assume that a company presented with the choice of lowering prices when costs come down and demand is booming, or keeping prices the same and increasing profit, would choose less profit. Yeah right. They know the majority will pay $4 a gallon gladly, they know we will pay $5 gladly. Drill more and they will have more to sell for $4 a gallon still.

St. George | 6:14 p.m. Aug. 13, 2008

Exactly why we need the

Pickensplan search it

SIGN UP TODAY---NOW

INVITE ALL YOUR FRIENDS, COWORKERS, AND FAMILY.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH LITTLE EFFORT.

LET WASHINGTON DC KNOW WE WANT IT FIXED TODAY, NOT IN 10, 20, OR 30 YEARS DURING THE NEXT ï¿½OIL CRISISï¿½.

LET YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS KNOW YOU WANT A COMMITMENT TO THE AMERICAN ENERGY REVOLUTION NOW, A 10 OR 20 YEAR PLAN --- PASS THE LAW TODAY OR BE VOTED OUT!

ST. GEORGE | 6:21 p.m. Aug. 13, 2008

polices must be enacted NOW.

Mandate 20% of autos be natural gas in 2009, saves 1.8 Million Barrels Per Day)

Legislation mandating 60% of Autos be electric within 10 years (saves 5.4 Million Barrels Per Day)

MagLev Train System for shipping 50% of goods within 10 years (saves 2 Million Barrels per Day)

Stop subsidizing World Wide Price of Oil through the use of the US Military, $8 Billion per month to keep 40% of the Worldï¿½s Daily Oil used flowing from the Middle East.

Use the $96 Billion war expense money to fund clean renewable energy power plants, in 4 years creating 200,000 megawatts, enough to power 60% of all homes in the USA. Free power, as the cost of the war pays for the construction.

VOTE ONLY FOR THOSE WHO PLEDGE TO END THE OIL BASED ECONOMY.

ST. GEORGE | 6:25 p.m. Aug. 13, 2008

The Rock | 10:56 a.m. Aug. 13, 2008

AN AMERICAN ENERGY REVOLUTION

Based on my early post will reduce demand (increase supply) by 9.2MBPD versus your Drill in ANWR (1.8MBPD) and OCS (2MBPD) or a total from Drill Here Drill Now of 3.4MBPD.

Which do you think will lower prices more? Which will have better long term consequences? Which will leave our children and grandchildren with better choices?

VOTE ONLY FOR THOSE WHO PLEDGE TO END THE OIL BASED ECONOMY.

Octane | 11:20 a.m. Aug. 14, 2008

There is a reason why we have lower octane gas up here. Cars need, yes need, lower octane gas at altitude than they do at sea level. Search for the info on the web, particularly the sages Click and Clack. 87 octane at sea level does the same as 85 octane at 3,000-4,000 ft. Or you can continue to complain and overpay for gas you DO NOT NEED!

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