Republicans announce plan to lower gas prices in Arizona

Gov. Hobbs swiftly threw cold water on the idea, calling it ‘half-baked’

Stephen Mott has worked in the construction industry in Arizona for more than 40 years. Now, at 66, he’s considering retirement — but 2023’s spike in gas prices has eaten up so much of his company’s profit that he said he’s faced with the prospect of postponing it.

“I look forward to retiring,” he said at a Wednesday morning news conference on gas prices. “But I can’t right now because of the increased fuel cost. In fact, retirement itself seems difficult, because all the products and food that is at the stores are delivered by trucks that run on fuel.”

Throughout 2023, drivers in Arizona — and Phoenix in particular — have experienced unprecedented sticker shock at the gas pump. At its peak in April, fuel rates in Maricopa County surpassed even those in Los Angeles, at an average of $5.02 a gallon.

The biggest reason has to do with the fact that Maricopa County is legally required to use only one type of fuel, called Cleaner Burning Gasoline (CBG), and the refineries that produce it experienced pipeline disruptions in March that led to a shortage.