BRYAN, Texas — Seeing that $3 number on a gas station marquee can make anybody antsy, and seeing pumps out of service might cause concern as well.
But the experts in Texas encourage drivers not to worry: there’s still plenty of fuel to go around.
According to Dr. Eric Lewis, an energy policy expert with Texas A&M's Bush School of Government & Public Service, incidents of pump closures are isolated. While some countries are currently experiencing issues acquiring gasoline, there’s no lack of supply here in the United States.
"We’re getting out of the pandemic, and so there’s more of a demand in general," said Lewis. "... Suppliers are not actually responding with that much-increased production, and at least not yet. So that’s further leading our crude oil prices and then our gasoline prices to go up.”
With more people returning to work as the year progresses, and with the holidays coming up, Lewis said the price at the pump will likely continue to rise.
But just as the gas supply in Texas is fine, Texas also employs enough short-range fuel delivery drivers that individual stations shouldn’t see too many delays.
For the pumps that do shut down temporarily – Lewis said they represent a very small margin, and may be experiencing isolated issues unrelated to supply.
Experts like Lewis and AAA specialists advise that in times like these, when prices are up, it’s helpful to practice good vehicle maintenance, and plan trips that cut down on drive time.
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