Why prices are so high is a matter of debate. What traders pay for gasoline futures can have a substantial impact on prices at the pump months later. AAA's Kinsman noted that world crude oil prices haven't gone higher in recent months. Amy Jaffe, a policy adviser at Rice University's Baker Institute in Houston, said the most important factor has been that Americans are using more gas but refineries aren't expanding to meet the demand. Jaffe also blamed a patchwork of more than 50 gasoline-grade requirements across the the United States.
Some cities have different standards than nearby areas.
Ron Planting, manager of information analysis at the oil company-backed Petroleum Research Institute, agreed that a uniform national standard would help. Massachusetts mandates relatively clean gasoline. A stricter nationwide standard would force the state to use more expensive gas, but the increases could be offset by lower distribution costs, O'Connor said. It is merely Congress's subsidy for farmers,'' he said. While policy experts weigh regulatory changes, one thing that remains clear so far is that motorists are still racking up the miles.