As Maine's summer season heats up, gas prices hit record high

As vehicles flooded Maine roads over the Memorial Day weekend and the state predicted a boon summer tourism season, surging fuel prices appeared to deter few but continue to loom large.

The average price in Maine for a gallon of regular gasoline hit $4.77 on Tuesday, after starting the month at $4.23, according to analysts at GasBuddy LLC — an increase of 12.8%.

The new premium for regular is also nearly 60% higher than the price one year ago, roughly 2 ½ times the price in the early weeks of the pandemic, and the highest price, even adjusted for inflation, in decades.

In Bangor, the average price of gas Tuesday was $4.76, while it was a penny cheaper in Portland and 3 cents less in Lewiston-Auburn.

Nationally, the average Tuesday was $4.64, up 11% from the May 1 price of $4.18.

Although gas price growth has flattened somewhat since the beginning of the month, the numbers are creating pain at the pump and worry for economists and travel-dependent businesses.

President Joe Biden has tried to combat the run-up by releasing millions of barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. But costs have continued to surge, with no sign of returning to pre-2022 levels.

Nevertheless, a recent AAA poll found that six in 10 Americans are planning at least one summer trip, with 35% expected to travel more this summer than last. These national estimates provide especially encouraging news for Maine, which saw 10.1 million summer visitors in 2021, a 2.4% increase over the pre-pandemic summer of 2019.

“National estimates show that many Americans plan to travel more this summer than last. After a strong 2021 summer season, that’s great news for the hardworking members of Maine’s tourism and hospitality sector,” said Gov. Janet Mills in a statement.

“I extend a warm welcome to all visiting our state and encourage Maine people to join our visitors in enjoying our world-class restaurants, hotels, and iconic outdoor places.”