Massachusetts Gas Prices Rising After Pipeline Shutdown

MASSACHUSETTS — The average price for a gallon of gasoline in Massachusetts was $2.86 Monday, up six cents from a week ago and up 92 cents from the same week a year ago.

And more bad news could be coming to drivers: AAA, which tracks average gas prices, is expecting more increases in coming weeks because of the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which delivers approximately 45% of all fuel to the East Coast. The pipeline was shutdown over the weekend after officials discovered a cyberattack.

“This shutdown will have implications on both gasoline supply and prices, but the impact will vary regionally. Areas including Mississippi, Tennessee and the east coast from Georgia into Delaware are most likely to experience limited fuel availability and price increases, as early as this week,” said Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast Director of Public and Government Affairs. “These states may see prices increase three to seven cents this week.”

Nationally, the average price of a gallon of gas went up six cents over the past week to $2.96 per gallon.