People pump gas at an ExxonMobil gas station in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, on May 12, 2021. The U.S. national average gas prices rose above 3 U.S. dollars a gallon on Wednesday for the first time since 2014 amid the shutdown of a major fuel pipeline following a cybersecurity attack. (Xinhua/Michael Nagle)
WASHINGTON, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. national average gas prices rose above 3 U.S. dollars a gallon on Wednesday for the first time since 2014 amid the shutdown of a major fuel pipeline following a cybersecurity attack.
On average, Americans are now paying 3.008 dollars for a gallon of gas, up from 2.985 dollars on Tuesday and 2.927 dollars one week ago, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
The U.S. auto club on Monday had forecasted gas prices to climb this week in reaction to the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which delivers approximately 45 percent of all fuel to the U.S. east coast.
"This shutdown will have implications on both gasoline supply and prices, but the impact will vary regionally," AAA spokesperson Jeanette McGee said Monday in a statement.
"Areas including Mississippi, Tennessee and the east coast from Georgia into Delaware are most likely to experience limited fuel availability and price increases," McGee said, adding these states may see prices increase three to seven cents this week.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday urged Americans not to hoard gasoline as the Colonial Pipeline is expected to fully resume operations in a few days after it was forced to shut down due to a cybersecurity attack.
"There should be no cause for hoarding gasoline, especially in light of the fact that the pipeline should be substantially operational by the end of this week," Granholm said at a White House briefing.
"It's not that we have a gasoline shortage. It's that we have this supply crunch. And that things will be back to normal soon," she said.
Colonial Pipeline, operator of the pipeline carrying gasoline and diesel fuel to U.S. east and southeast parts, said on Tuesday that the company continues to make forward progress toward returning its pipeline system to service.
However, a growing number of gas stations along the U.S. east coast are without fuel as the panic-buying increases amid concerns over the shortage of gas.
As of Wednesday morning, 28.2 percent of all gas stations in North Carolina, 17.45 percent in Georgia and 17.09 percent in Virginia are without gasoline, according to the latest data from GasBuddy, which tracks fuel demand, prices and outages. Enditem
