This photograph taken on August 26, 2022 on Highway 1 in Gorda, Caifornia, USA, shows an AmeriCo petrol station. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
BIG SUR, Calif. - Gas prices have been soaring, leading to a lot of pain at the pump, but a station in a scenic community along California’s coast just might take the cake, with premium gas going for $9.99 a gallon.
The small remote hamlet of Gorda in the Big Sur region of Monterey County has only one gas station. A rustic-looking AmeriCo petrol station, also known as Gorda by the Sea, sits next to a general store, along Highway 1.
The gas station is no stranger to the attention it receives for its unusually high costs. With a history of high prices, it’s made headlines in the past on this issue.
Running on diesel
Dig deeper:
Beyond its remote location, making fuel transport delivery harder and more costly, the community operates on an off-grid, localized power system.
Gorda does not rely on PG&E for its electricity. Instead, the community runs on diesel-powered generators, according to residents.
A gas station employee explained that the constant demand for diesel drives up the prices for all fuel, including gas.
Big picture view:
Fuel prices around the world have been surging as the war in Iran continues.
Nationally, for the first time since 2022, the average for regular unleaded topped $4 a gallon this week.
"Crude oil prices have been surging, surpassing $100/barrel, as the conflict in the Middle East continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed," AAA experts said in a new release on Thursday.
Here in California, where prices have historically been higher compared to most of the country, the average for regular unleaded hit $5.89 on Thursday, according to AAA.
Local perspective:
In the Bay Area, Sonoma, Napa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties had the highest averages, all topping $6.
Solano County had the lowest, averaging about $5.83 for a gallon of regular unleaded, AAA figures showed.
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Diesel prices going up faster than gasoline, long term problems ahead
Todd Belt, director of the Political Management program at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, talks about the high diesel and gas prices and why these long-term problems won't go away any time soon.