"Five VERIFIED reasons why Oregon gas tends to be pricier than most other states
Oregon and other west coast states consistently have some of the most expensive gas in the country, even though there are local oil sources. What gives?"

"PORTLAND, Ore. — Most Oregonians would likely agree: Oregon gasoline is expensive. It trends up and down, just like everywhere else, but the prices at Oregon pumps always seems to be a bit higher than in most other states at any given time — and the state's closest neighbors often find themselves in the same boat.

"The West Coast region is always in the top 10," said Marie Dodds with AAA. "We've got seven states in our region, and it's very common for those states to be first through seventh."

Some of KGW's previous reporting on gas prices has delved a bit into the reasons for this unfortunate distinction, such as the long distance between the West Coast and the Gulf Coast, the U.S.'s oil production hotbed. But that explanation didn't sit well with viewer John Larson, who recently emailed KGW to point out that Oregon and Washington import much of their crude oil from geographically closer sources. Here's what he had to say:

Oregon and Washington gas prices average around a dollar more a gallon than the national average. The crude oil for Oregon and Washington has come mainly from Alaska since the 1970s and is refined locally. So why aren't the gas prices in Oregon and Washington at the national average or lower?

We set out to VERIFY a more detailed explanation for the discrepancy Larson highlighted, looking not so much at what makes the prices go up and down, but why Oregon's prices in particular always seem to be comparatively high. We landed on five major factors that tend to make Oregon gas extra pricey."

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/verify/why-oregon-gas-expensive-five-factors/283-74b39927-da22-45c4-b21d-47cdc3c71c22

TB