AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the state on Friday was $3.19, up 7 cents from last week. But that's still much lower than the price from a year ago, when motorists were paying $3.54.
The national average price was $3.24, up 4 cents from last week. But that's lower than the national average from a year ago, when motorists were paying $3.43.
Analysts say the rising prices are mostly due to refinery issues in the Gulf Coast region, including Valero's Texas City refinery, which feeds two major pipelines that crisscross throughout the mid-Atlantic area. They say once those refineries are operating at capacity, pump prices should start falling again.
