Do Tri-City gas prices seem high?

Go write about why Tri-City gasoline prices are higher than average.

So ordered a Herald editor who complained about regularly paying 20 cents a gallon more to fill up in the Tri-Cities than in Spokane.

The reporter dutifully rings up Will Speer, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, a Maryland-based company that provides up-to-the-minute fuel price information and industry analysis.

“Why are Tri-City gas prices higher than average?” the reporter asks.

Speer laughs. Gas is 20 to 30 cents cheaper in the Tri-Cities than Seattle, he counters. It’s about even with Spokane but is usually cheaper than Spokane too.

“The Tri-Cities is a better deal,” he says.

The average price of gasoline in the Tri-Cities was $2.04 per gallon Sunday, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. That’s 4 cents lower than Spokane ($2.08), 34 cents lower than Seattle ($2.38 per gallon) and 20 cents lower than the statewide average ($2.24 per gallon).

To be fair, the West Coast is not awash in the sub-$2 gasoline that is common elsewhere in the U.S.

The national average was $1.83 a gallon Sunday, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report.

Several factors drive up prices in Washington, Speer said.

For one, the West Coast relies on the limited refineries in California and on Puget Sound. It is geographically distant from the Gulf Coast, home to 45 percent of the nation’s petroleum refining capacity, per the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Western states tax gas at a higher rate. Washington tacks on nearly 63 cents per gallon and Oregon about 50 cents. Texas is a relative bargain at 38 cents.

As for Tri-City prices, Speer said low prices are a function of how gasoline reaches the pump.

Tri-City gas stations are supplied from Utah via a Tesoro-operated pipeline. The Puget Sound area is supplied by local refineries via barge and ship, a costlier way to transport.

For those who aren’t buying the gas-is-cheaper-in-the-Tri-Cities story, you’re in good company.

Gas prices can vary widely between stations, after all.

This story was originally published January 24, 2016 at 10:28 PM with the headline "Do Tri-City gas prices seem high?."