Shedding Light on WNY Gas Prices:
In an effort to continue to demand fair gas prices in Western New York I have pledge to provide local consumers with easy access to averages gas price numbers locally in comparison with state and national averages.  Below you will find links to the Automobile Association of America’s Fuel Gauge Report which uses data provided by Oil Price Information Service: 

Click here for average gas prices in the Buffalo-Niagara region other cities across the state

Click here for average gas prices in New York State

Click here for average gas prices nationwide

Background: 
October 21, 2008:  Congressman Brian Higgins first sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission calling for an investigation into the gas prices in WNY which were unjustifiably high in relation to New York State averages. 

November 14, 2008:  FTC confirms Higgins' claims that WNY prices "are out of bounds" and continues investigation

December 15, 2008:   Higgins sounds the alarm as Jamestown and Buffalo named most profitable in the nation

January 26, 2009:  Higgins and Schumer team up to press FTC for findings

March 10, 2009:  Higgins and Schumer meet with FTC Chairman

April 29, 2009:  Higgins & Schumer have a second briefing with the FTC

May 13, 2009:  In a report to Congressman Higgins the FTC indicated that while they “were unable to identify precise reasons why retail gasoline prices in some cities in Western New York…did not fall as quickly as prices in other Northeast cities…we note that prices began to fall soon after you raised public concerns about the elevated prices.”

Next Steps:

In order to prevent price disparity in our region Congressman Higgins is planning to:

• RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS: by posting gas price information his website and promising to expose excess profits if the WNY region is out of line with other areas of New York;

• PREVENT PRICE GOUGING: by continuing to push for passage of federal price gouging legislation.  In their letter, the FTC notes that, “some have suggested that one way to address high gasoline and diesel prices is through some form of federal price gouging legislation, such as H.R. 2129,”  a bill cosponsored by Congressman Higgins.

• REDUCE SPECULATION: by supporting the passage of legislation to prevent excess speculation in the oil market The House passes  such legislation last session however it died in the Senate.  Congressman Higgins is a cosponsor on a new bill this session.

• INVEST IN RENEWABLE ENERGY: because we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

This action or similar congressional action in the future will not result in the elimination of all gas price inflation, but will serve to keep in check unjustifiable disparities between Buffalo's prices and those paid elsewhere.  Obviously, retail gas prices are always fluctuating and will at times go up due to increased demand throughout the nation and abroad.