By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-836186.mp3
Dallas, TX – Gasoline prices in Texas made a dramatic jump this past week.
Dan Ronan, with Triple-A Texas, says the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded went up ten center.
Ronan: It took a pretty sharp jump, especially as we got toward the middle of this week. So we've seen an increase to where now Texas gasoline is now over two dollars a gallon: $2.04. Nationally, it's $2.14.
Ronan says there are a couple of reasons for the spike. Oil traders are more optimistic about the economy and increased demand - so prices on the world market are rising. And, the EPA-mandated "summer blend" of gasoline is now coming online. That adds as much as a nickel to a gallon of gas because of additional refining costs.