A scenic view of downtown Phoenix, Arizona from the heights of South Mountain.

Gas prices on the rise due to refinery maintenance

Refinery maintenance in California and Arizona’s reliance on multiple fuel blends are driving up gas prices in the state, leaving experts split on whether drivers should expect a quick drop or continued volatility.

Isys Morrow

In this article published September 20, 2025, in the Daily Independent:

Many Arizonans hope gas prices will drop, especially given recent declines compared to a year ago, but a fair number are also skeptical, given how volatile oil markets are, how supply issues (like refinery maintenance, blends, pipeline constraints) keep creeping up, and how summer demand tends to push prices back up. The rise in prices across the board is also causing them to be skeptical. So, net-net — confidence is probably mixed: People may expect modest declines or stabilization, but large drops soon might seem unlikely to many.

Hitendra Chaturvedi, department of supply chain management

Latest news