Fuel prices continued their sharp climb in this week’s report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and AAA-Iowa. As of Wednesday, March 11, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the state was $3.19, up 26 cents from last week and 26 cents higher than a year ago. The national average rose even more steeply, up 38 cents, to $3.58 per gallon. The trend persisted in the Iowa retail diesel market, which saw prices rise 52 cents on average to $4.42 per gallon, 75 cents above last year’s prices. Rising costs pushed into the renewable fuel market as well. At the Des Moines Terminal, E10 was $2.20, Unleaded 87 was $2.60, ULSD#2 was $3.10, ULSD#1 was $3.25, and E70 stood at $2.07. In heating fuels, propane prices rose one cent to $1.62, and home heating oil spiked 59 cents to $3.81 per gallon. Natural gas prices at the Henry Hub reporting site were also up by 21 cents to $3.15 per MMBtu.
