PORTLAND, Maine — Gasoline prices in Maine remained flat in the past week, as the national price rose more than 2 cents.
Maine’s price remained at $2.38 for a gallon of regular gasoline, which was about 40 cents lower than one year ago, according to the price tracking website GasBuddy. Average pump prices through the summer are expected to be the lowest in more than a decade, which is expected to fuel a busier tourist season in Maine.
During the past week, the national average price rose more than 2 cents, landing at par with Maine’s average price of $2.38 per gallon.
Maine’s price per gallon was higher than in Vermont, $2.35, and in New Hampshire, $2.28.
Patrick DeHaan, an analyst for GasBuddy, said the Midwest experienced the steepest increases in price in the past week, partly driven by unexpected refinery outages.
“As kinks are ironed out and production of gasoline ramps up, we expect gasoline prices to cool in the next few weeks in much of the country, barring any unforeseeable events,” DeHaan said.
He added that GasBuddy has maintained its January forecast that gasoline prices nationally will average about $2.41 for the summer driving season.