Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Gallego Presses Administration to Lower Arizona Gas Prices

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) pressed the Trump administration to take immediate steps to address rising gas prices in Arizona and explain how its recent decision to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) will help the Grand Canyon state. Gas prices have spiked in recent weeks following Trump’s war in Iran. Arizonans did not choose this war, and they should not be paying for it at the pump while the President tells them prices don’t matter.

In a letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Gallego asked for clarification on the administration’s recently announced decision to release 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, how that fuel will be distributed to states like Arizona, and whether this release will be sufficient to deliver meaningful relief to consumers.

“Gas prices in Arizona and across the country have skyrocketed since the beginning of the war in Iran, and Arizonans deserve additional insight into the decision making and details around this announcement,” Senator Gallego wrote. “Although the SPR is designed to ‘alleviate the market impacts of both domestic and international disruptions,’ I am concerned that its effects will not be felt equally by all Americans, including Arizonans. No detail was provided in the SPR release announcement about where the fuel will be sent, or how allocations will be determined.”

“I look forward to gaining more details on how your Department plans to relieve Arizona’s exceptionally high gas prices through releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve- an anticipation that I know is shared by Arizonans who are struggling to pay the price of conflict with Iran,” the Senator concluded.

Read the full letter HERE.

In a separate letter to Secretary Wright and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Gallego urged the administration to closely monitor and address any disruptions in Arizona’s fuel supply and work with state officials to prevent further gas price spikes.

Arizona is particularly vulnerable to fuel supply shocks. The state has no major oil refineries and relies heavily on two pipelines that bring fuel from California and Texas. Because it takes nearly a week for fuel to reach Arizona, any refinery outage or pipeline disruption can quickly lead to supply shortages and further drive up prices for the people of Arizona.

“Over the past month, gasoline prices have risen sharply. The statewide average for regular gasoline is $4.33 per gallon, up from $3.14 per gallon a month ago.1 Prices in the Phoenix metropolitan area are even higher, with regular gasoline at $4.63 per gallon and diesel at $5.21 per gallon,” Senator Gallego wrote. “These price increases are much higher than the national average and are increasingly unaffordable for many of my constituents. I write to request immediate action by both of your departments to monitor and address any emerging supply disruptions for Arizona gas.”

“To compound national shortages with additional delivery or infrastructure challenges to Arizona would be financially damaging to many of my constituents who rely on gas to go to work and keep food on the table,” Senator Gallego continued. “To address these concerns, I ask that we work together – the EPA, the Department of Energy, Congress, and Governor of Arizona’s office – on a proactive approach to gasoline supply challenges. This could include immediately monitoring for potential supply shock events and requesting Arizona-specific fuel blend waivers as soon as supply challenges arise.”

Federal law authorizes the EPA to temporarily waive summer-blend fuel requirements for states experiencing supply disruptions, a move that could directly lower what Arizonans pay at the pump by expanding the pool of available fuel to local retailers. Senator Gallego has urged this administration to prepare to deploy this authority immediately should Arizona’s supply picture deteriorate.

Read the full letter HERE.