Iowans saw a sharp increase in prices at the pump in this week’s report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and AAA-Iowa, largely due to military operations in the Middle East against Iran. As of Wednesday, March 4, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $2.93, up 34 cents from last week and two cents higher than a year ago. The national average was up 22 cents on Wednesday to $3.20 per gallon. There were similar movements in the Iowa diesel market, as prices rose 37 cents to a statewide average of $3.90 per gallon, compared to $3.39 per gallon last year. The national average for diesel is 14 cents higher than local prices at $4.04 per gallon. Looking toward the Des Moines Terminal, E10 stood at $2.13, Unleaded 87 was $2.49, ULSD#2 was $2.98, ULSD#1 was $3.18, and E70 was $2.02. In heating fuels, propane prices held steady at $1.61, but home heating oil rose 18 cents to $3.22 per gallon. Natural gas prices at the Henry Hub reporting site were up two cents to $2.94 per MMBtu.
