NEW YORK — The Energy Department hasn’t changed its mind about higher gasoline prices. It still expects pump prices to climb past $3 per gallon as more motorists hit the road in the spring and summer driving seasons.
In its monthly short-term energy-outlook report, the Energy Information Administration said that for the full year, the national average should be about $2.84 per gallon, up from $2.35 per gallon in 2009. That outlook was unchanged from last month.
Pump prices are already above $3 in California and are almost there elsewhere on the West Coast. The rest of the country isn’t far behind. Higher oil prices, gasoline blended with ingredients to cut down on smog in warmer weather and an uptick in demand are expected to drive prices higher.
Crude oil should average above $80 per barrel this spring, the report said, then about $82 by the end of the year and $85 per barrel by the end of 2011. The Associated Press
