Colorado is experiencing the highest year-over-year diesel price increase in the country, according to AAA
Colorado, Colo. (KRDO) - Diesel fuel prices in Colorado have reached a record statewide average of $6.56 per gallon, marking the highest year-over-year price increase in the nation, according to AAA.
The current average represents an 89% increase over the past year. It stands as the highest absolute price ever recorded in the state, without adjusting for inflation.
High diesel costs extend beyond vehicle owners, contributing to higher prices for consumer goods across the economy, forcing some local families to make financial choices in their daily budgets.
Mathew Hayward lives in Divide, and he says he drives to Colorado Springs for cheaper diesel prices, but on Thursday he was met with higher prices.
“It hurts,” Hayward said. “So it's either, let's go out to dinner this month or let's fill the truck up.”
Another driver, Marcie Bartley, says their family also owns an RV, something they can barely use anymore because of the rising prices.
“I'm not happy. I'm not happy at all...something's gotta give on these diesel prices," Bartley said. “We have an RV at home that we bought a year ago. And we haven't even taken it out hardly.”
According to GasBuddy, the price surge is driven in part by maintenance at the Suncor Energy refinery in Commerce City. As Colorado's sole petroleum refinery, maintenance work at the facility has pinched local fuel supplies this year.
Skyler McKinley, the regional director with AAA, points out that diesel fuel costs ripple through every sector of the supply chain. McKinley says that higher transportation expenses are passed on to consumers across the country.
“Diesel is the foundational fuel of the American economy,” McKinley said. “So if diesel gets expensive, anything that gets to you by way of a commercial motor carrier or on a cargo ship gets more expensive. And, newsflash, that's everything in our economy.”
McKinley went on to note that seasonal demand in the agricultural sector has further increased fuel consumption across the region.
"It's harvest season, and guess what runs on diesel: John Deere. So all of our farmers and ranchers are using diesel right now.”
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