AAA blames rising gas prices in Idaho on refinery explosion

The explosion and fire at a California refinery is responsible for the recent spike in Idaho’s gas prices, AAA said Wednesday.

The shutdown of the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance, California, had immediate effects on Southern California prices, and the price hike spread up the West Coast and into Nevada.

In the past seven days, Idaho has experienced a 17-cent spike in gas prices.

“We would characterize the run-up in Idaho prices as part of the ripple effect caused by a big rock being tossed into a quiet pond,” said Dave Carlson, AAA Idaho’s public affairs director. “In this case, the big rock was the temporary loss of a refinery responsible for about 20 percent of the fuel used in Southern California.”

As of Wednesday, Idaho’s average price was $2.15 per gallon. However, the prices vary greatly from city to city:

Idaho Falls, $1.90
Pocatello, $1.98
Coeur d’Alene, $2.08
Twin Falls, $2.10
Lewiston, $2.17
Boise, $2.26
Nampa, $2.26

“We suspect product intended for distribution in the Idaho market is being diverted to fill the gaps of tight supply regions and places like Las Vegas where there is more profit potential for wholesalers and retailers,” Carlson said. “That ripple effect of higher prices then shows up in Idaho markets.”