WA State Gas Prices 4th Highest, Due to Jump in January, 2023

According to new data from The Center Square, Washington state's gas prices sit at the 4th highest rate in the U.S.

 We trail only Nevada, CA, and Hawaii for the most expensive fuel

A lot of the cost is due to our high gas taxes, but the price per gallon is due to shoot up in January 2023.

According to data from AAA, Washington state's average price for regular unleaded was at $3.88, which is actually down six cents from a few weeks earlier.

San Juan County has the highest prices with an average of $4.39, while Skagit County is on average the lowest at $3.30.

Comparing states, Texas is the lowest average in the U.S. at $2.64 per gallon.

  Our prices will rise sharply in 2023, not sure by how much

We do know our prices will rise sharply in 2023, due to an initiative that ironically voters passed in 2018. I-1631 allowed the creation of a carbon tax, with a system of carbon "credits" being issued to polluters based supposedly on their environmental impact. However, it's likely few voters who approved it realized it would involve a low-carbon fuel standard (similar to CA) four years later that would raise prices.

  According to the Tax Foundation, how much prices will rise has yet to be seen. There are a wide variety of estimates, ranging from 4 to 5 cents per gallon. According to the Washington Policy Center, advocates who testified in favor of the fuel standard pointed to claims made by CA and Oregon said it would only go up 2-3 cents at most, but then revised that to say it would go up at least 5 the first year.

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The WPC said in August of this year by the year 2031, the fuel standard could add as much as $.19 cents to a gallon of fuel.