Oregon gas #4 highest at near $4, as ODOT plots 20-cent hike

By Bob Clark,
Guest writer for Taxpayers Association of Oregon

As the Oregon legislature considers increasing Oregon’s gasoline tax by another 20 cents per gallon and squeezing fossil fuel supplies via Net Zero plans, it seems rather likely that Oregon’s economy will suffer relative to most other states, where the cost of transportation fuel, namely gasoline, is more than 20% lower on average.

It is worth considering that as gasoline prices dip to $3 or less, depending on local utility electric rates, the energy/fuel savings represented by all-electric cars evaporate almost entirely relative to hybrid gas-electric cars (such as a Toyota corolla with 55 Miles per Gallon efficiency).

Meanwhile, California is becoming a basket case, as the number of refineries in the state declines, leaving the state increasingly dependent on importing gasoline from overseas – this despite California having large untapped in-ground petroleum oil reserves and what was once a fleet of in-state refineries. Two refineries in California have announced plans to permanently close. The California state government is so desperate that it is considering taking over refineries with the thought of preventing further declines in the state’s gasoline supplies.

Oregon does not have any oil refineries and depends on neighboring states to supply it with gasoline – such that, gasoline supply developments in California and the state of Washington significantly impact Oregon gasoline prices.