Pain at the gas pump
DUNBAR TWP. — The numbers at the gas pump were nearly indistinguishable as Jackie Aikens watched the spinning dials show the cost of her purchase.
The $20 she allotted for the purchase put less than six gallons in the gas tank of her sport utility vehicle.
“It is really hard,” said Aikens. “The higher gas prices are really taking a big bite of our income.”
With prices now flirting with $4 a gallon, she speculated that the family would have to cut back on food and other purchases, so that she can continue to travel from Leisenring to Hopwood daily to work.
“We hardly go anywhere anymore because gas is so expensive and they say it is going to go higher,” said Aikens.
A recent medical emergency required family members to travel daily to Pittsburgh and the nearly 50 trips depleted her income tax refund and other minimal savings.
“I get so angry at the government,” she said. “I don’t know where it is going to end.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak said in a telephone interview recently that the Obama administration is making every attempt to increase production and develop new energy sources.
“We certainly understand the frustration of the folks as they pull up to the gas station and see the dollars just fly by as they are filling up their tank,” he said. “I think they have the right to ask what’s going on.”
Vilsak said oil prices are set at the world market level and are impacted by consumer need and what may be transpiring around the globe.
“So when China and India have fast-growing economies and begin to use more energy, that impacts the competition for oil,” he said. “When there is talk about a potential war or bombing Iran or getting into an issue with their nuclear program, that basically shakes the market up because they are concerned it may interrupt the world supply.”
On Monday, the cost for a barrel of crude oil was $106.47, after starting at $107, according to the New York Stock Exchange.
The average cost in 2010 was $79.40 a barrel and rose to $94.86 last year. Gas prices at the pump showed similar increases, rising from $2.78 to the current average of $3.80.
Vilsak said that the administration is aggressively seeking solutions to curb costs, including the increase in the production of natural oil and gas supplies in the United States.
“We’ve quadrupled the number of oil rigs during this administration,” he said. “We have 400 new permits that have been authorized for additional exploration opportunities. We’ve expanded by millions of acres of areas both onshore and offshore for additional exploration.”
Vilsak said the U.S. is now the largest producer of natural gas.
“The combination of all of that means that we are importing less foreign oil for the first time in 13 years,” he said. “We are importing less than 50 percent of our oil from foreign countries.”
Additionally, the administration is asking car makers to improve efficiency levels and manufacturers of appliances to have them more energy efficient.
The country, too, must expand its renewable energy and bio-fuel production, said Vilsak.
“We’re producing a record amount of bio-fuels today in the country,” he said. “And doubled the generation amount of renewable energy through solar wind, geothermal and hydro-power and we need to continue to do all of that.”
While there has been some discussion of releasing a portion of the strategic petroleum oil reserve to moderate gas prices, Vilsak said it is more important to focus on more production, less overall use and creating alternative energy sources.
Doing so also would improve the job market, he added.
“You create jobs when you create energy-efficiency opportunities to retrofit homes, and when you produce bio-fuels and renewable energy such as building windmills, developing solar panels and creating bio-refineries,” said Vilsak. “We’ve invested nearly $1 billion in new opportunities that are creating jobs in every part of the country.”
Local residents, meanwhile, said they are not so much interested in the administration’s long-term plans, but rather what can be done in the short term to help.
“I don’t think the government can do anything,” said Chuck Hagerty of Connellsville. “I’m retired, and it really does make you mad to see the prices going up.”
Amy Ambrisko, of Connellsville, like other patrons of the Route 119 gas station, sighed as she filled the tank of her vehicle.
Because of the cost and expectation it will reach $4 or more by summer, the family is not likely to travel too far from home anytime soon, she said.
“Every week, it is costing more,” she said.