Why was there so little media coverage of the Colonial pipeline hack?
Gasoline is now better than $4.25 a gallon here in Northern California due to resulting shortages in the Southeastern states.
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Nor Cal gas prices have nothing to do with the temporary shortage on the East Coast. The gasoline delivery is not that connected.
There was plenty of coverage of the Colonial hack, but it was short lived because it was resolved in less than a week. And the hack wasn’t on the pipeline, but on the accounting system for billing the gasoline deliveries. Colonial turned off the pipeline because they were afraid clients would be undercharged.
You live in the wrong place, @stanleybmanly—in Georgia, where I live, the hack and resulting shortage was all over the news every time you looked. And the newspaper. And local talk shows.
June price rises are because of two things:
- the oil companies change to a ‘summer blend’ (higher octane, I think) right about Memorial Day, who causes prices to go up every year.
- the gas surplus from last year (when no one was driving) has been all used up, and supply is just about equaling demand. You can expect the middle eastern countries to keep things tight to make money for themselves. Sort of back to business as usual.
On the other hand, gas in Atlanta dropped from $2.99 to $2.72 because stations here are back to getting fully supplied, so the cost per gallon went down.
Gas is $2.79 to $2.99 today in Milwaukee. High prices for Memorial Day are an annual thing, but I don’t know why you are seeing $4.25. Gas Buddy says $3.70—$3.80-ish is typical for San Jose (not sure if you are near San Jose, I just picked the biggest NorCal target).
Also the Colonial pipeline hack was prominent news here.
Gas prices are high in California (where I am on the Peninsula gas is approaching $5 a gallon) in part because of California’s various environmental fees and taxes and because everything is pricier in California and gas companies charge higher here simply because they can.
Well I knew of it. I knew when it started and when it ended. So doesn’t that mean there was enough coverage?
It was all over the news here in Virginia, and it was covered by all of my news sources. And since gas here is $2.65 at Costco and Kroger, $2.79 everywhere else in the city, and $2.99 out in the countryside, I’m going to join those who say California prices are their own thing.
$3.89 for regular at the South Airport blvd. Costco. $4.25—$4.45 at the two neighboring filling stations.
This story was covered by the BBC in the UK.
It was Ll over our mews in the NorthEast, as well as on national news that I watch and read.
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