Diesel up slightly, still below 2 bucks
Diesel prices have risen for the second consecutive week, but for the second consecutive week that rise was less than a penny and the national average remains below $2.
That average U.S. retail pump price for diesel was up 0.6 cents in the Feb. 29 report by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), to $1.989 per gallon. The price is still about $0.95 per gallon cheaper than this time last year and continues to hover at a level last seen seven years ago.
Prices were up in every region of the country except on the East Coast, with the Central Atlantic region posting a1.3 cent decline to $2.171, and New England down 0.6 cents to $2.154.
The increases were paced by the Rocky Mountain region where a gallon of diesel was up 2 cents ($1.881).
The West Coast less California saw a 0.4 cent increase to $2.054. Otherwise, California registered a 1.4 cent bump to $2.302, still the highest price in the contiguous 48 states.
The Midwest price was up 1.6 cents ($1.937) and the Gulf Coast reported about broke even (up a tenth of a penny to $1.874), to hold on to the lowest price for a gallon of diesel in the nation.
The national average price for gasoline was up 5.3 cents to $1.783.