The U.S. Department of Energy released an update today (August 31) on the fuel shortage in Texas. To date ten refineries in the Gulf Coast region are shut down and two are operating at a reduced rate. It may take several more days to assess damage from Hurricane Harvey and restart full production on these refineries. The Texas Oil and Gas Association reports that the gasoline shortage is short term. Conservation of fuel is encouraged until the refineries in Texas are able to operate at full capacity.
State law prohibits businesses from excessive price hikes during times of disasters. Violators could face penalties of $20,000 per incident. If you have a complaint, you can file a report with the Texas Attorney General’s Office using their online form – http://txoag.force.com/CPDOnlineForm.
To see up-to-date information on Hurricane Harvey’s impact to energy in Texas, visit https://energy.gov/oe/downloads/hurricane-harvey-situation-reports-august-2017.