NORTHWEST INDIANA - Gasoline prices are starting to shoot up in Northwest Indiana. That's according to GasBuddy head of Petroleum Analysis P atrick DeHaan who spoke to Lakeshore Public Radio on Wednesday.
"Gas prices across most of Northwest Indiana are going up to $2.89 a gallon whereas outside Northwest Indiana, the rest of the state is looking at an increase to $2.79," DeHaan says. "Of course this time of year Northwest Indiana makes the switch to reformulated gasoline whereas the rest of the state doesn't have to so."
DeHaan says that's why gas prices are a little higher and this comes as oil prices have hit their highest level since 2014 and that's affecting gas prices. Northwest Indiana has to comply with having a cleaner blend of gas that the rest of the state isn't required to use.
"It's an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) requirement that areas of Northwest Indiana where there tends to be a lot of factories, a lot of emissions, they have to have cleaner gasoline coming out of the tailpipes of all those vehicles," DeHaan says. "So this is something that the EPA requires. It's called reformulated gasoline."
DeHaan said Wednesday afternoon that GasBuddy was already seeing several Northwest Indiana gas stations go up to $2.89 per gallon.
"So if can find if for $2.60, it may be a good idea (to fill up) because by tomorrow (Thursday) you're going to see a lot of stations charging a much higher price," DeHaan says.
Prices in neighboring states also starting to jump as well including Michigan, Kentucky, and Ohio. Motorists should expect prices to quickly rise to $2.99 per gallon in Chicago's suburbs, $2.85 per gallon at many stations across Michigan, $2.75 in Kentucky, $2.75 in areas of West Virginia, $2.69 at stations in Ohio and $2.59 in areas of Wisconsin.
