Richardson tries to explain soaring gas prices

LAS VEGAS - Energy Secretary Bill Richardson's suggestion that the average price of gas around the country is $1.54 was met Thursday with groans of disagreement from a national group of senior citizens.

''Hey, hey,'' one man yelled after Richardson's price estimate. Others jeered in obvious disagreement.

Richardson, speaking at the National Council of Senior Citizens, acknowledged the crowd's displeasure, then conceded the audience must have been from the Midwest, where gas prices have skyrocketed to well over $2 per gallon.

Richardson has been under fire for the rise of gas prices after the Energy Department declared two months ago that prices would fall off after an early April peak. Richardson claimed victory then, but prices continued to soar.

On Thursday, he blamed the high prices on increased demand, tight crude oil supplies and the introduction of cleaner-burning gasoline, called reformulated gasoline.

Richardson told the group that the Energy Department is trying to work with refineries to get gas to customers more quickly. He said the department also is working with auto makers to help cars be more fuel efficient.

Richardson, who has long been considered a possible running mate for Vice President Al Gore, made no mention of the controversy over the disappearance of nuclear secrets from a vault at the Energy Department's Los Alamos weapons lab in New Mexico.

Bill Smith a delegate from Rochester, N.Y., said it didn't matter that Richardson didn't discuss the security lapses.

''It's too new. What can you say?'' Smith said.

Richardson also was mum on any plans to join the Democratic presidential ticket, but did say: ''Boy I'd love to have you guys on my side.''

About 1,100 members of the senior advocacy group are here for the group's convention.

The energy secretary ducked reporters on his way into the conference at the Riviera hotel-casino, only saying that he would ''maybe'' answer questions at the end of his speech. Instead, he quickly left out a side door.