North Texas motorists paid roughly $55 to fill a 15-gallon gasoline tank Friday, about $16 more than a year earlier, as President Donald Trump moved to spend up to $150 million in federal funds to expand American refining capacity.
Regular gasoline averaged $3.69 per gallon in Dallas and $3.70 in Fort Worth-Arlington on October 23, according to AAA. A year earlier, the averages stood near $2.60 and $2.59, respectively. The increases exceed 40% in both metropolitan markets, AAA shows.
The Cost At The Pump
At Dallas’ October 23 average of $3.6892 per gallon, a 15-gallon fill-up costs approximately $55.34, compared with $39.07 at the corresponding average a year earlier.
That represents $16.27 more per fill-up. A motorist purchasing 15 gallons four times would spend approximately $65 more than at the year-earlier price.
Drivers with larger tanks face bigger bills. A 20-gallon purchase at the October 23 Dallas average costs $73.78, compared with $52.09 at the year-earlier price, an increase of approximately $21.69. Individual stations and fuel grades charge different amounts.
Dallas gasoline prices have eased from an average of $3.95 a month earlier, though they remain well above last year’s levels. Diesel averaged approximately $5.75 per gallon in Dallas on October 23, compared with roughly $3.15 a year earlier, according to AAA.
Why Diesel Matters Beyond The Pump
The added expense also reaches businesses that depend on trucks to transport food, construction materials and other goods. Freight companies may face pressure to recover higher fuel expenses through their rates, although a rise in diesel prices does not translate into an identical increase in every retail price.
In September, The Dallas Express covered truck drivers facing diesel prices near $6 at a Dallas Interstate 20 truck stop. Drivers described rising fuel bills and shipping rates that failed to keep pace with their expenses.
What The Federal Plan Would Change
Trump announced the funding initiative Thursday, October 22. The Department of Energy said the administration plans to use Defense Production Act Title III authority to support petroleum production, storage and refinery logistics. Officials expect the projects to increase domestic output of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other petroleum products by millions of gallons a day, the department announced.
The proposed spending would draw from $1 billion in federal funding that Congress appropriated for energy projects considered critical to national security. In an October 22 presidential determination, Trump identified domestic petroleum production, refining and logistics capacity as essential to national defense.
The Energy Department says project selection remains underway. It has not identified the refineries that will receive funding, specified when additional output could reach consumers or estimated the resulting reduction in pump prices.
For North Texas families and businesses confronting higher fuel bills, the proposed capacity expansion offers the prospect of increased supply, but no confirmed date or dollar amount for relief at the pump.
Provided by Dallas Express
