With the sudden increase in gas prices, the oil industry fears a continued rise in prices since Russia is one of the world's top suppliers in the industry. Due to the current war between Russia and Ukraine, California has continued to have the highest gas prices. The gas prices were already high before the conflict had broken out in Ukraine, due to the global economy rebounding from the pandemic and demand outstripping supply.

The gasoline price average is currently $4.33 per gallon nationwide, which is the highest level since 2008 after adjusting for inflation. With the current spike, many Americans have been blaming the U.S. president, but in actuality, the president has very little control over the prices.

“I can’t do much right now and Russia is responsible” said President Biden (The New York Post). But Republican lawmakers are still upset and are blaming President Biden for his energy policies (The Charlotte Observer).

According to Jill Cowan from The New York Times, Gavin Newson, the Governor of California, has recently stated that Californias might get tax rebates to combat the high gas prices. The federal tax involving gas is 18.40 cents per gallon, and the additional state excise tax is 51.1 cents per gallon. In the last couple weeks a full tank of gas has cost many people an average of 100 dollars at local gas stations in California.

The federal state and local government do contribute to the cost in gas and the federal Leaking Underground Storage Tank fee of 0.1 cents per gallon which has to be applied so they don't lose money when there is a leak. The Leaking Underground Storage Tank which leads to serious environmental issues and health risks which can include water being contaminated by fuel (The Environmental Protection Agency). The distance from the supplier of gas can also affect the price of gas because transportation costs increase when the distance from the source of gasoline supply increases. The last time gas prices have been this high was during July 2008, towards the end of a decade-long energy crisis.

Some companies are trying to help their employees deal with this crisis (ABC news). To help their drivers deal with the current economic situation, Uber will be raising their prices (NPR).

Looking into the future, experts say that the gas prices are likely to continue rising as demand for oil is surpassing the supply of it. There is no longer enough oil on earth to support the demands of the world for much longer. Due to the war in Ukraine, the sanctions against Russia have a huge effect on the current gas prices and potential decreases in cost will be determined by the outcome of the war.