The nation may see a rise in gas prices soon due to the winter conditions in Texas.
The Lone Star state is the main producer of gas in the country. According to an AL.com article, 11 refineries in Texas and one in Kansas have at least partially closed due to the extreme cold weather. Alabamians could see a slight raise in gas prices within a few weeks.
Clay Ingram is a spokesperson for AAA Alabama. He said he does expect a bit of a jump in gas prices in Alabama.
“Even though it’s a short term thing, we will see a little bit of a jump here in Alabama but probably only 5 to 10 cents per gallon in the coming weeks,“ he said.
Ingram also said people should not go and panic buy gas, as that could worsen the situation.
“The best thing we can do is not run out and fill up our gas tanks. Panic buying is a bad thing and can cause prices to go up even higher. It can cause some stations to run out of gas temporarily,” Ingram said.
He said because there has not been much of a demand for gas within the past year, there should be no need to worry. Ingram mentioned the price jump would have been more significant if Texas faced this extreme weather crisis roughly five years ago.
According to AAA, the national average of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. is $2.58. Alabama has a lower average at $2.28.
