Washington State โNow Has the Nation’s Highest gas Prices,Exceeding California
Washington state is currently experiencing the highest โaverage gas prices in the United States,surpassing evenโข California,a state historically known for its expensive fuel.โ as of September 14th, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Washington reached $4.66, accordingโข to AAA, considerably exceeding the national averageโ of $3.18. california’s average priceโ stands at $4.64 per gallon.
Theโ Seattle metropolitan area bears the โbrunt of the high costs, with an average price of $4.81 per gallon. โThis โขsurge is attributed to a combination of factors,including theโ state’s already high gas taxes and costs associated with climate initiatives,compounded by recent tax increases.
A new gas tax implemented โon July 1st added 6โค cents per gallon of unleaded, increasing Washington’s per-gallon tax rate โขfromโ 49.4 cents โto โ55.4 cents. Moreover,โข prices areโ slated to โrise 2% annually to adjust for inflation, โขwith diesel prices increasing by an additional 3โฃ cents in two years, followed by a 2% annual increaseโ starting in 2028.โค
In additionโ to the gas tax, Washington’sโฃ CO2 emissions taxโฃ from the Climate Commitment Actโค also increased by 6 cents recently.While โsome blame this law – which requires businesses โขto pay fees for air pollution – for the price hikes, the State Department of Ecology maintains โคit isn’t the primary driver, notingโ a recent increase of just over three cents per gallon mirrored aโ national โtrend. Revenue generated from the CO2 emissions tax, totaling approximately $3.2 billion inโ its first two and a half years, is allocated to programsโค focused on โreducing carbon emissions, expanding โrural public transit, and supporting individuals with disabilities.
Seattle drivers are expressing mixed reactions to the rising costs. Timothy Durden, โขa Seattleโ resident, told KOMO News, โข”Seattle doesn’tโ pay [any] money on โฃthe infrastructure here. You go down I-5,it bumps everything. So, I don’t think we spendโ enoughโ money on that.” Another Seattle resident, Quinn Sullivan, commented, โค”We’re basically California now โคwith our gas prices.”
Drivers are actively seeking the best deals, with some reporting prices nearing $5 a gallon near theโข airport prior to the July tax increase. The escalating prices are causing concern among those planning holiday travel.