California diesel stations hit $9.999 display limit as national prices rise
Five California stations have reached the $9.999 per gallon display ceiling for diesel, while U.S. diesel prices hit a record $5.87 per gallon amid geopolitical tensions.
Five gasoline stations in California have reached the $9.999 per gallon limit that digital pump displays can show, according to data from price-tracking service GasBuddy. The maximum display is due to the four-digit format used by most pumps, and the stations were identified by analyst Patrick De Haan, who posted a screenshot of the prices.
The state’s average diesel price was $7.76 per gallon on Sept. 9, based on U.S. Energy Information Administration data, a 55-cent rise from the previous week and $2.81 higher than a year earlier. Nationwide, diesel reached a record $5.87 per gallon, surpassing the prior high of $5.81 set in June 2022.
Local reports have noted similarly high gasoline prices, including a station in Fenner charging $9.69 per gallon for regular fuel and a Los Angeles Chevron outlet listing $8.89 per gallon for diesel in May.
California regulators have opened an inquiry into unusually high fuel prices at stations in the San Bernardino and Los Angeles areas, though no violations have been confirmed.
"Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward. They're going to be tumbling down, and we'll get them down. I think for gasoline we'll get them below $2 a gallon," President Donald Trump said.
The president has also authorized releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, with 172 million barrels released earlier in the year and a recent draw of about 1.2 million barrels, according to the Department of Energy.