據(jù)油價(jià)網(wǎng)8月16日?qǐng)?bào)道，美國(guó)汽油價(jià)格已飆升至今年最高水平，繼續(xù)不斷攀升。美國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)平均汽油價(jià)格從一個(gè)月前的每加侖3.564美元上漲至每加侖3.873美元，而柴油價(jià)格現(xiàn)在平均每加侖4.338美元，較一個(gè)月前的每加侖3.851美元上漲。在加利福尼亞州和華盛頓州，價(jià)格已飆升至每加侖5美元以上。

強(qiáng)勁的需求和一系列煉油廠停產(chǎn)事件主要是近期上漲的原因，同時(shí)市場(chǎng)緊縮也推高了原油價(jià)格。德?tīng)査疚挥谔乩准{的每日產(chǎn)能18.5萬(wàn)桶的煉油廠以及Irving Oil位于加拿大New Brunswick省每日產(chǎn)能32萬(wàn)桶的石油煉廠將在9月大部分時(shí)間和10月的一部分時(shí)間內(nèi)停產(chǎn)，影響了地區(qū)約9%的產(chǎn)品供應(yīng)。

"在這個(gè)時(shí)候看到價(jià)格上漲是相當(dāng)不正常的。通常我們會(huì)看到價(jià)格在秋季下降”，石油價(jià)格追蹤網(wǎng)站GasBuddy.com的石油分析主管帕特里克·德哈恩（Patrick De Haan）在接受路透社采訪時(shí)表示。

對(duì)于美國(guó)的汽車司機(jī)來(lái)說(shuō)這是一件不幸的事，高盛預(yù)測(cè)本月零售汽油價(jià)格可能高達(dá)每加侖3.90美元，并且由于供應(yīng)緊張可能會(huì)持續(xù)走高。

美國(guó)每周汽油庫(kù)存仍然低于年均庫(kù)存水平，今年以來(lái)對(duì)汽油價(jià)格施加了更大壓力。本月美國(guó)總汽油庫(kù)存下降至2.164億桶。

但高油價(jià)只是美國(guó)消費(fèi)者面臨能源挑戰(zhàn)的一部分。歷史高溫的夏季來(lái)臨大大增加了美國(guó)人的用電量，許多人現(xiàn)在難以承受飆升的電費(fèi)。根據(jù)美國(guó)能源信息署（EIA）的數(shù)據(jù)，平均每戶家庭每年在空調(diào)上花費(fèi)約262美元，在濕熱的東南部地區(qū)可能高達(dá)525美元。

胡耀東 譯自 油價(jià)網(wǎng)

原文如下：

U.S. Gas Prices Hit Year High As Market Tightens

U.S. gasoline prices have surged to their highest level this year, continuing their relentless climb. National average gas prices in the United States have inched up to $3.873 per gallon from $3.564 a month ago, while a gallon of diesel now averages $4.338 from $3.851 a month ago. In California and Washington, prices have surged above $5 a gallon.

Strong demand and a series of refinery outages are largely to blame for the recent rise, while tightening markets have also been pushing crude prices up. Delta's 185,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Trainer as well as Irving Oil's 320,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery in New Brunswick, Canada will be down for much of September and part of October, affecting about 9% of the product supplied in their regions.

"It is fairly abnormal to see prices going up" at this time of the year. We tend to see prices declining going into the fall," Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at price tracker GasBuddy.com, has told Reuters.

Unfortunately for the U.S. motorist, Goldman Sachs has predicted that retail gasoline prices will average as high as $3.90 a gallon this month and could remain high as supplies remain tight.

Weekly U.S. gasoline stockpiles remain below the five-year average of inventories throughout this year, putting more pressure on gas prices. Total U.S. gasoline stocks in the current month fell to 216.4 million barrels, the fifth decline in six weeks.

But high gas prices are just part of the energy challenges facing the U.S. consumer. A summer of record-breaking heat has dramatically increased electricity consumption for Americans with many now struggling to keep up with their skyrocketing electric bills. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration(EIA), the average household spends about $262 a year on air conditioning, with costs going as high as $525 in the hot and humid Southeast.