Fuel prices continued their downward trajectory over the past week, according to the latest figures released by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and AAA-Iowa. As of Wednesday, Aug. 3, the price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $3.81, a 19-cent drop from last week but 82 cents higher than a year ago. The national average on Wednesday stood at $4.16 per gallon, down 14 cents. Diesel followed the same trend with more muted movement. As of Wednesday, the average price for diesel in Iowa was down 12 cents to $4.89 per gallon. Last year, the state’s average for diesel was $3.12. The national average on Wednesday was $5.24 per gallon. Wholesale ethanol was unchanged at $2.16 per gallon, while natural gas plunged 88 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site to $7.69 per MMBtu.
