Gas prices keep rising; OPEC blames U.S. dollar
- posted: 04 Mar. 2008
- scrollnews@byui.edu
Gas prices continue to rise throughout Idaho and the rest of the United States, biting into a greater portion of BYU-Idaho students’ budgets.
According to the Energy Information Agency, the average price for a gallon of regular-grade gasoline in the Rocky Mountain region — which includes Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana — has risen 73.5 cents in the last year. This increase is greater than any other region of the United States. Since January, gas prices have increased an average of 14 cents per gallon.
“Four years ago, I paid $15 to $20 to fill up my tank. I now pay $45 to $50. Maybe higher gas prices come with higher education,” said Cody Hawkes, a sophomore studying business management.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the oil consortium that controls the majority of the world’s oil supply, isn’t accepting any blame for the recent increase in fuel prices. In a conference held Wednesday in Austria, OPEC leaders said the primary concern is the economy, not oil supply.
According to the March 5 OPEC press release, “the Conference observed that the market is well-supplied … the current price environment does not reflect market fundamentals, as crude oil prices are being strongly influenced by the weakness in the U.S. dollar, rising inflation and significant flow of funds into the commodities market.”
At times when fuel expenditures are taking a greater portion of people’s earnings, many students may wonder if there is anything they can do to combat the higher prices.
“I feel that there’s not a whole lot we can do to change gas prices, although I feel there are alternatives. If people can’t afford the prices, they should buy smaller, more fuel-efficient cars instead of trucks or large SUVs. Or we can minimize the amount of cars we own and find other means of transportation that cost less, such as scooters or bikes,” said Lisa Fly, a sophomore studying health science.
If students must drive, they can find lower gas prices by using Web sites such as www.gasbuddy.com or www.fueleconomy.gov. Both Web sites report on gas prices at individual gas stations in different cities, including Rexburg. 
