Virginia among states most likely to see fuel prices rise because of pipeline shutdown

AAA is expecting gas prices in Virginia to climb this week in response to the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which delivers approximately 45% of all fuel to the East Coast. During the weekend, pipeline officials announced they were the victims of a cybersecurity attack and, as a precaution, shut down the pipeline, which runs from Texas to New York Harbor. Some lateral lines have reopened, but there is no word as to when the mainline, including the gasoline line, will be operational.

“This shutdown will have implications on both gasoline supply and prices, but the impact will vary regionally,” said AAA spokesperson Morgan Dean. “Areas including Mississippi, Tennessee and the east coast from Georgia into Delaware are most likely to experience limited fuel availability and price increases, as early as this week. These states may see prices increase three to seven cents this week.”

The longer the pipeline is offline, the larger the impact on the region, though foreign gasoline imports and other pipelines can supplement Northeastern supply. Other areas of the country will see little impact.

In the Richmond area, the average cost of a gallon of self-serve, regular gasoline Monday was $2.75, according to AAA, while statewide it was $2.76 and nationally $2.96. The Richmond and states averages have increased three cents per gallon since last week, while the Richmond average is up five cents per gallon since last month and the state average is up six cents in the same timeframe.

If the trend continues, an increase of three more cents would make the national average the most expensive since November 2014 – the last time average prices were $2.99 and higher.

While there is sufficient gasoline supply in the U.S., other pipelines and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s temporary hours-of-service exemption for tanker trucks transporting gasoline and other fuels will be able to ease the strain but not resolve the issues caused by the pipeline interruption, according to the AAA. Once the pipeline is up and running, there could still be residual delays; it takes about 15 to 18 days for fuel to flow from Texas to New York.

To conserve fuel, AAA advises drivers to:
• plan ahead to accomplish multiple errands in one trip, and whenever possible avoid high-traffic times of day;
• use the most fuel-efficient model of your available vehicles that meets the needs of any given journey.
• remove unnecessary and bulky items from your car, minimize your use of roof racks and remove special carriers when not in use;
• minimize your use of air conditioning;
• in hot weather, park in the shade or use a windshield sunscreen to lessen heat buildup inside the car.