By Larry Felton Johnson

The average cost of a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Georgia passed the $3.00 mark yeterday, driven by the unfolding war in Iran. As of the publication of this news brief, AAA calculates the average price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Georgia at $3.13.

Here in Cobb that might be a bit optimistic.

Yesterday the Courier was on Floyd Road in Mableton, and also passed Veterans Memorial Highway and the East West Connector. The only price below $3.25 was an outlying low at the Floyd Road Marathon station at $2.94.

There are more stations in the Mableton area that are below $3.00 if the Gasbuddy website is current. But $3.29 seemed to be the dominant price point as of yesterday afternoon.

What causes fluctuations in gasoline prices?

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the price of crude oil is the main factor affecting the price of gasoline.

“Strong and increasing demand for gasoline and other petroleum products in the United States and the rest of the world can place intense pressure on available supplies,” the EIA website states.

According to the EIA, other factors that can affect prices include” disruptions in crude oil supplies, refinery operations, or gasoline pipeline deliveries.”

There are also seasonal changes in demand that cause price fluctuations throughout the year.

For more information on the price considerations for crude oil and gasoline, visit the EIA website.

How does AAA determine gas prices?

According to AAA:

“AAA updates fuel price averages daily at www.GasPrices.AAA.com. Every day up to 130,000 stations are surveyed based on credit card swipes and direct feeds in cooperation with the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) and Wright Express for unmatched statistical reliability. 

“All average retail prices in this report are for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline.”