What’s behind the increased gas prices?

Gas prices have jumped in recent weeks, and Fayette County drivers are seeing it firsthand at the pump. As of this week, gas in Fayette is hovering around $3.99 per gallon. A short drive to Tuscaloosa shows lower prices, generally ranging from about $3.53 to $3.62. That difference (sometimes 30 to 40 cents per gallon) reflects a pattern many rural residents have noticed for years: gas often costs more in smaller communities than it does in nearby cities. Several factors are contributing to the latest increase, and most of them begin far beyond Fayette County.