Cantwell Issues Report Showing Impact of High Gas Prices on Washington State Motorists
High gas prices will cost average Washington driver $250 more this driving season than in 2005
WASHINGTON, DC – Tuesday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) issued a report highlighting the continuing impact of high gas prices on Washington state families. With summer gas prices slated to cost the average Washington driver $257 more than last summer, Cantwell continues to push for stronger consumer protections and an aggressive, comprehensive plan to invest in alternative fuels, improve fuel efficiency, and break America’s oil addiction.
“During the summer travel season, Washington state families will once again face a tough reality at the gas pump,” said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Energy and Commerce Committees. “Higher gas prices mean tighter budgets as families and businesses throughout our country continue to feel the pressure of record high energy costs. Despite plenty of in-state refining capacity and steady Alaskan oil supplies, Washington state has some of the highest gas prices in the country. America needs a better energy plan to deliver stable and affordable fuel prices to hard-working families. I’ll continue pushing for more aggressive investments into biofuels that can provide reliable, locally grown alternatives and competition at the gas pump. We also need to harness existing technologies, and push the envelope on next generation innovations that can make our vehicles go farther with every gallon of fuel.”
Washington families are feeling the squeeze, with higher gas prices taking a bite out of discretionary incomes while higher fuel costs drive up the price of consumer goods. As shown in the report released by Cantwell, the average gallon of regular gas in Washington on May 24, 2006 cost $3.16—an increase of over 78 cents when compared to the price one year ago. If prices remain the same throughout the summer, as the Energy Department predicts, the average driver will spend $257 more on fuel between April 1 and September 30 than they did during the same period last year. Statewide, this increase will cost residents an additional $1.13 billion during the spring and summer driving period, and a gallon of gas will continue to cost almost twice what it did during the spring and summer of 2003, adding dramatically to the financial burden placed on a Washington state population already paying $188 million per month more for gasoline than it did last year ago when the average gallon of gas cost $2.38.
Earlier this month, Cantwell introduced comprehensive energy legislation entitled the Clean Energy Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) Act that would boost our country’s alternative fuels infrastructure, replace big oil giveaways with incentives for clean energy, reduce harmful emissions, develop new technologies to reduce oil consumption, protect American consumers, and initiate real government leadership for clean and secure energy. Cantwell legislation, Senate Bill 2829, is cosponsored by 24 other Senators. Cantwell is also pushing to improve the fuel economy of our nation’s vehicles by working with other members of the Senate Commerce Committee to develop bipartisan legislation to increase national fuel economy standards.
Last September, to protect consumers from energy market manipulation and provide immediate relief from artificially inflated gas prices, Cantwell introduced the Energy Emergency Consumer Protection Act (S. 1735), cosponsored by Commerce Committee Co-Chairman Inouye and 30 other senators. The legislation would outlaw gas price gouging during national emergencies, increase energy market transparency, impose tougher fines and criminal penalties on violators, and give the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general new powers to go after companies that manipulate oil and gas prices.
Last October, Cantwell convened the Biofuels Business Collaborative—a group of Washington businesses, farmers, investors, and fuel consumers—to help create a strong Washington biofuels industry. Producing biofuels alternatives with Washington grown crops or woody material can help reduce fuel transportation costs and provide real competition at the gas pump. Senator Cantwell also helped broker several agreements that will help jumpstart the Washington state biofuels market including a commitment by the Port of Seattle and its tenants to purchase one million gallons of biodiesel annually, and, earlier this month, she joined with officials from the Port of Grays Harbor and representatives from Seattle BioDiesel to announce plans for one of the nation’s largest biodiesel plants at the Port of Grays Harbor. The gas prices report release by Cantwell can be found here
###
Next Article Previous Article
