Phoenix, Ariz., August 20, 2009. It may be too early to call it the end of a price climb, but for the first time in three weeks, the statewide price of fuel rose by less than a penny, signaling a possible plateau of pump prices. Statewide, motorists are currently paying an average of $2.647 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline, an increase of 0.8 cents from last week. Today’s nationwide average is $2.624 per gallon, a drop of a little more than two cents from last week.

This week, Tropical Storm Claudette, Tropical Depression Ana and Hurricane Bill emerged as three of the first storms of the 2009 hurricane season. Tropical Storm Claudette and Tropical Depression Ana came ashore without affecting any major oil or gas operations. Hurricane Bill’s initial path threatened offshore oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the storm has since changed course and is now less of a concern.

“Given continued strong supplies and weak demand, gas prices are likely to level off in the near future,” said Linda Gorman, public affairs director for AAA Arizona. “Looking ahead, prices will likely hover around current levels as we approach Labor Day weekend, at which point we’ll likely experience a bump in prices as demand for fuel strengthens for the last three day weekend of the summer.”

In Arizona, Tucson drivers continue to pay the least for fuel in the state with an average of $2.470 per gallon, while Flagstaff motorists continue to pay the most to fill their tanks with an average fuel price of $2.772 per gallon. Nationwide, South Carolina motorists continue to pay the nation’s lowest fuel price with an average of $2.402 per gallon, while California motorists continue to pay the most for fuel in the lower 48 states with an average of $3.052 per gallon.

Motorists can visit www.AAAAZ.com/news/fuelnews.htm for fuel price information and gas saving tips or go to www.AAA.com/fuelfinder to locate the station with the cheapest gas in their neighborhood. They can also visit AAA’s Fuel Cost Calculator at www.fuelcostcalculator.com, which can help drivers plan out their fuel costs so they can budget their travel expenses in advance.

*The BTU-adjusted price of E-85 is the nationwide average price of E-85 adjusted to reflect the lower energy content as expressed in British Thermal Units - and hence miles per gallon - available in a gallon of E-85 as compared to the same volume of conventional gasoline. The BTU-adjusted price calculated by OPIS and AAA is not an actual retail average price paid by consumers. It is calculated and displayed as part of AAA's Fuel Gauge Report because according to the Energy Information Administration E-85 delivers approximately 25 percent fewer BTUs by volume than conventional gasoline. Because "flexible fuel" vehicles can operate on conventional fuel and E-85, the BTU-adjusted price of E-85 is essential to understanding the cost implications of each fuel choice for consumers.

AAA Arizona’s Weekly Fuel Gauge includes data from gasoline stations in every Arizona community. However, only major metropolitan areas are shown in the table above.  Local prices in some communities might be higher or lower than the averages shown here.

NOTE: AAA Fuel Gauge data may be used on a daily basis by news media Web sites, but should include attribution to AAA.