When oil prices jump, so do gas prices. And many stations have shown increases of 20-cents or more a gallon in the last few weeks, including in Nevada County. Experts say for every 10-dollar increase in crude oil, it can add about 24-cents a-gallon. But Patrick de Haan, with Gas Buddy dot-com, says there are signs the spikes are easing, with the barrel price of oil dropping below 80-dollars again. And the recent heatwaves also mean refineries can’t run at full capacity…

click to listen to Patrick de Haan

But De Haan says global oil production cuts may keep gas prices from dropping much, if at all, for the near future…

click to listen to Patrick de Haan

California continues to have the highest gas prices in the country, at about a-dollar-20 more a gallon, compared to the national average. De Haan also cites the low number of refineries in the state, resulting in a higher reliance on more expensive imported oil. We also have higher gas taxes.