Your Gas Price

[Ycore Rixle]

Besides record domestic consumption, we (with "we" being the US) have three major problems driving oil/gas prices up:

(1) Refineries are running at full capacity. Due to NIMBY (not in my back yard), the US is relying on "refinery grid" that really hasn't been updated in 20 years.

(2) 30-year suspension/moratorium on nuke power plant development/construction. Solar, wind (unless you are a bird) and garbage-powered "Mr. Fusion" technology are all well and good, but one of the cleanest and most reliable energy sources is modern nuke plants. The technology has come a long way from TMI and Chernobyl. Say what you want about the French, but they have built an outstanding powergrid with substantial modern nuke development. Unfortunately, ignorance + NIMBY + political ineptitude by politicians of all stripes mean it will take 15+ years to make anything happen with this.

(3) China. The growing economic engine of China is becoming a huge (and still fairly inefficient) consumer of fossil fuels...and that demand is gowing to grow exponentially over the next 25 years.

Yes. Also (0) The oil and oil companies that once belonged to Western owners were ruthlessly nationalized from the '50s through the '70s with no (or little) compensation. One could argue that this was a long time ago, but, for instance, the oil companies in Iraq in '72 were nationalized by the Ba'ath party and a fellow named Saddam Hussein. His story came to its climax only a couple years ago; the oil prices are more complicated, but certainly the nationalization is a big factor.

 

[Emperor Valerian]

Well, I filled up my tank Sunday when gas was $2.59/gallon here in Champaign... at noon today when I returned from class, it was already up to $2.79, and I wouldn't be surprised if by tomorrow evening it was over $3.00.

 

[BrooklynKnight]

In Brooklyn it varies from 2.69/gal to 3.13/gal on regular, and as high as 3.90 for super.

 

[Zappo]

I'm not well updated on either gasoline prices or the €/$ change, but I reckon it should be the equivalent of about 5.5$.

 

[Numion]

Finland, capital area: 5,8 - 6,1 USD / Gallon

SUVs are on the rise. Most are not as big as american SUVs, but there are some Suburbans, a few H2's and fewer Escalades.

 

[Bront]

If I can get it at $2.69 out here, it's good. In Chicago, it was $3.11 last I checked.

 

[Numion]

(2) 30-year suspension/moratorium on nuke power plant development/construction. Solar, wind (unless you are a bird) and garbage-powered "Mr. Fusion" technology are all well and good, but one of the cleanest and most reliable energy sources is modern nuke plants. The technology has come a long way from TMI and Chernobyl. Say what you want about the French, but they have built an outstanding powergrid with substantial modern nuke development. Unfortunately, ignorance + NIMBY + political ineptitude by politicians of all stripes mean it will take 15+ years to make anything happen with this.

I work in the nuclear field (risk analysis), and Finland is actually building a new reactor currently. It's going to be the largest reactor in the world (Framatome - Siemens's new model) at 1600 MW, and it is the first of the series. France is probably going to build similar ones in the coming years.

In Europe it's very profitable since the CO2 emission rights exchange began. 20 euros for the right to emit one ton of CO2. Not surprisingly this makes nuclear power very good alternative, and this plant just happens to be built at the right time.

 

[diaglo]

$2.44 yesterday morning at 625am EST
when i drove home gas at the same station was $2.59 at 340pm EST

this morning same station was $2.49 at 609am EST.


i guess they are trying to gauge just how much the effects of Katrina will have on the supply here.



when i moved to Stone Mountain, GA, USA back in 1995 gas was $0.78 per gallon... back in the Baltimore/DC/Annapolis region it was $1.05 per gallon. i didn't pay over $1.00 for a gallon of gas in GA until 4 years later.

 

[MonsterMash]

In London its about 91 pence/litre which works out to US $1.46/litre or US $6.64/gallon

 

[Pielorinho]

$2.82/gallon yesterday morning at 7:30 am. I'd hoped that by buying it first thing I'd avoid the hike, but that was about a 23 cent hike overnight that I faced.

The fun part is that I have to drive 2 hours a day, three days a week, to go to school (it's the nearest school with the program I need). I've got a car that gets 35-40 mpg, pretty great for a 10-year-old car, but even with that efficiency, it's really hurting.

Gas prices are way higher in Europe, but as I understand it, y'all can generally finagle things so that you're taking a train or a bus to get where you need to go. Unfortunately, such options don't really exist in my area. I would *love* to take a train to school (and get lots of homework done on the way), but that'll have to wait until they build the tracks.

Daniel