(The Center Square) – Idaho may soon see a rise in a unique type of export for from Washington state partly due to the legislature’s cap-and-invest legislation implemented at the beginning of this year.
Since the passage of that legislation, and despite three weeks of decline, fuel prices in the Evergreen State have recently stabilized as the highest in the nation.
Those prices are so high, it may quite literally drive consumers across state lines to get their fuel fix.
“The difference in gas prices among two bordering states can add up to over $10 on a single tank of gas, potentially costing American travelers hundreds on long road trips in some parts of the country,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy in a blog post this Tuesday.
The post includes a list of what GasBuddy is calling “high risk” states, where filling your tank can cost you if you’re not paying attention.
That list, ordered by price difference with the lower priced state listed first, is as follows;
Arizona to California $1.05/gal Idaho to Washington $1.00/gal Idaho to Oregon $0.67/gal Nevada to California $0.64/gal Oklahoma to Colorado $0.64/gal Kentucky to Illinois $0.58/gal Missouri to Illinois $0.57/gal Kansas Colorado $0.52/gal Iowa to Illinois $0.49/gal Indiana to Illinois $0.48/gal
For any residents living or commuting regularly near these borders, such as the residents of Spokane, this savings could add up significantly over the coming weeks and months.
“All it takes is 10 seconds to check gas prices on both sides of the border to avoid burning up more money on fuel than you need to. Why pay more?” added De Haan.
In a recent press conference, Governor Jay Inslee claimed these precipitous prices have nothing to do with oil companies passing on costs of the cap-and-invest legislation to consumers.
Inslee spokesperson Mike Faulk walked the governor’s statement back a little.
“The projections did not anticipate the oil companies trying to pass along as much vaguely defined compliance cost onto the consumer,” said Faulk.
