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Delaware avoids gas panic, but rising prices remain

Delaware Public Media

There’s no need to hoard gas in trash bags or anything else, the Colonial Pipeline is up and running again.

The Colonial Pipeline announced the restart of pipeline operations late Wednesday. It will take several days for operations to get back to normal, but officials hope the news will ease the supply strain seen, mainly in the Southeast.

And AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Ken Grant says supply was never the issue, but distribution.

“If you believe that there’s going to be a shortage so you start buying everything up, next thing you know yeah there’s a shortage because you just created it," Grant said. "That’s one of the reasons that AAA and others right from the beginning were saying there’s no reason to panic, we’re not looking at a shortage we’re looking at a distribution issue that is being fixed.”

Grant reminds people gas should only be stored in gas cans or your gas tank, not plastic bags or any other soluble materials. If sitting in a can, it should be used as soon as possible. Fuel doesn’t keep forever and can cause serious vehicle damage if used after sitting for too long.

Gas prices jumped 12 cents over the past week in Delaware to an average of $2.95 per gallon. The national average increased by 8 cents to $3 per gallon this week – the highest average since October 2014.

But Grant notes the Pipeline shutdown isn’t the only reason gas prices are continuing to rise.

“Revenge travel is taking over," Grant said. "People feel this sense of cabin fever for the past year. Now they’ve got their vaccinations and they’re ready to go out and do something.”
 
Gas prices could increase again before Memorial Day weekend.