Recent gas price rise moderate in Nevada

Gasoline pump prices in Nevada recently went up less than half as much as the national price rise, but remain significantly higher, said GasBuddy.com, a motor fuels price monitoring website.

The average pump price at 1,130 retail gas outlets in the Silver State increased 1.3 cents in the past week to $3.31 per gallon, as assessed on Sunday, while the national price jumped 3.5 cents but to just $2.75 a gallon.

In Carson City, by Tuesday the lowest pump prices were listed by the website as $2.95 a gallon at Eagle Gas, 1366 S. Carson St., and $2.97 a gallon at both Costco, 700 Old Clear Creek Road, and JM Gasoline, 1521 N. Carson St.

Despite increases going into the spring and summer travel season, the website noted, prices in Nevada were still 44.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. But they were a tad more than 39 cents higher than a month ago, according to the survey site.

“As the summer driving season has begun,” said Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy petroleum analyst, “gasoline prices have risen slightly as demand rises and parts of the country have seen supply and refinery disruptions.” The analyst said the situation should ease in coming weeks and summer prices will be the cheapest at pumps across the nation since 2009.

“I forecast that the national average will not breach $3 per gallon this summer,” said DeHaan.