California tops Hawaii in prices at the pump

Hawaii no longer has the highest gasoline prices in the nation.

While the Aloha State still ranks No. 1 for highest electricity prices, the top spot at the pump now belongs to California.

Hawaii’s average price for regular gas Tuesday was $3.23, which was 50 cents less than the average $3.73 charged in California, according to AAA.

California’s average price, which a month ago was only $3.10, has been soaring since an explosion at an ExxonMobil refinery in Southern California in February reduced supplies throughout the state.

In addition, California has special gasoline requirements, so it can’t easily replenish its stockpile with supplies from elsewhere.

California overtook Hawaii on a monthly basis in March when the Golden State’s average was $3.33 compared with $3.12 in the islands. In April, California averaged $3.19, compared with $3.09 for Hawaii.

"This (spike in California) is likely temporary, but I don’t know when it would reverse," AAA spokes­woman Elaine Beno said Tuesday. "Hawaii’s gasoline prices are typically higher due to its geographic location. This is similar to other goods — like groceries, for example — being higher in price in Hawaii than on the mainland."

Hawaii gas prices have been on average 33 cents a gallon higher than California’s for the past five years, Beno said.

Nevada ($3.22), Alaska ($3.16) and Oregon ($3.01) rounded out the top five and were the only other states to reach the $3 threshold.

The lowest-priced gas in the nation was in South Caro­lina, where it was $2.37.

The Energy Department said Tuesday that it expects the price of gasoline nationwide to average $2.55 between April and September, which would be the lowest since 2009. Over the course of the year, a typical U.S household could save $675 on gasoline compared with last year.

The coming summer of cheap gas was set up by a collapse in oil prices that began in June at $107 a barrel and ended in mid-March at $43. That took gasoline prices down to $2.03 a gallon, a level the nation hadn’t seen since it was deep in recession in March 2009.

Since then the price of crude has risen nearly $20 a barrel to around $60, propelled by evidence in recent weeks that drillers in the U.S. and around the world have sharply cut back on new projects while demand for fuels has increased.

The rise in oil pushed gasoline prices higher, along with typical seasonal factors such as refinery maintenance and the switch from winter to summer gasoline to meet clean-air rules. The national average price of gasoline reached $2.66 per gallon, where it has held steady in recent days. The price is 99 cents cheaper than last year at this time.

Hawaii still has the nation’s highest electricity prices at $30.85 per kilowatt-hour as of February, according to the latest available data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That’s more than double the national average of $12.29 and far above Connecticut, the next-highest state, at $21.82.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.