More Gas Pains

Sez Wired:

Gas prices are on the way up again and could likely pass $3 again this summer in many areas, according to the Detroit News. Gas in Detroit is up a whopping 38 cents in a month, and based on last years' precedent is on course to again pass 3 bucks in May.

If you don't live on the West Coast, consider yourself fuel-lucky. In Sacramento gas is now at $2.72 compared to the national average of $2.26.

Passing $3 a gallon when people are planning their summer vacations won't make drivers happy and will probably increase sales of hybrids while not doing any favors for the Detroit automakers soon to be known as the big 2. High prices will also put pressure on politicians and prompt more interest in ethanol.

Ethanol is a bit of chimera (according to a feature article in the January 2007 Scientific American, at present ethanol production is no more efficient or economical than petroleum
production, and is really little more than a political sop to the cornbelt, though with luck and effort that will change), but I like the idea of hybrids.