Diesel Price Projected to Rise, DOE Says
Diesel fuel will average $2.23 a gallon this quarter and rise to $2.31 in the third quarter, the Energy Department said.
Trucking’s main fuel will average $2.30 this year, up from the $2.19 forecast last month, DOE said in its monthly short-term energy outlook released Tuesday.
Next year, the price will climb even higher, to an average $2.69, the outlook said, well above the $2.51 projected last month.
Diesel averaged $3.79 last year, and the national average price in its most recent weekly survey released Monday was $2.229 — up 0.1 cent from last week but more than $2.50 below the record $4.764 set last July.
Regular gasoline will average $2.23 during the upcoming summer driving season and peak at $2.30 later this summer, DOE said — well above the $1.96 it previously projected gas would average for the year. Gas peaked at an all-time high of $4.114 last July.
Crude oil will average $53 per barrel this year and rise to $63 per barrel in 2010, DOE said, up from its previously projected $42 per barrel for 2009 and $53 for 2010.
