Experts are saying American drivers, including Californians, can expect some of the lowest summer gasoline prices they have seen in three years.
Some are predicting a steady decline in California gasoline prices to as low as $3.84 a gallon by August.
This year, the Energy Department is expecting a national summertime average of about $3.63 for a gallon of regular gasoline.
That would be the lowest in three years, down six cents from $3.69 a gallon a year ago and off 8 cents from the $3.71 average in 2011.
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“One reason is the price of crude oil,” said Tacred Lidderdale, a senior economist at the Energy Information Administration.
“We expect crude prices to be lower than last year. One of the big reasons is growth in production, particularly in the U.S. and Canada,” Lidderdale said in an interview.
Another reason, Lidderdale said, is that gains in fuel economy in U.S. vehicles are expected to more than offset increased driving and higher fuel consumption during the summer months.
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