Average Gas Price Rises For 29th Day In San Diego County

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County rose 2.2 cents Wednesday to a record $5.968, the 29th consecutive increase.

The average price has risen $1.224 during the streak, including 2.4 cents Tuesday, setting a record each day, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 16.3 cents more than one week ago, $1.212 higher than one month ago and $2.046 greater than one year ago.

"The major factor in the latest price increases continues to be the uncertainty around the Torrance Refinery restart," said Marie Montgomery, a public relations specialist with the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The refinery has been having issues restarting a key unit that went offline after a March 6 power outage, creating a supply issue, Montgomery told City News Service.

The refinery is capable of producing 1.8 billion gallons of gasoline per year, nearly 10% of the state's demand, a refinery official said.

— City News Service