Gas Prices Near Murrieta Drop After Recent Rising Streak

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in the Inland Empire dropped a half-cent Wednesday to $2.637 after rising four of the past five days, including three-tenths of a cent on Tuesday.

The average price in Riverside and San Bernardino counties is 2.2 cents more than one week ago, but 35.4 cents less than one month ago and $1.047 lower than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

The increases were the result of Thursday’s start of gasoline being covered under California’s Cap-and-Trade Program, which requires fuel suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by supplying low-carbon fuels or purchasing pollution permits to cover the greenhouse gases produced when the conventional petroleum-based fuel they supply is burned.

The Cap-and-Trade Program is among the provisions of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, approved by the Legislature and signed into law by then- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

– City News Service.