1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: brain Stuff Lauren Vogebaum here. Unfortunately for American drivers, gas 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: prices often go up during the summer, starting around Memorial Day. 4 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: There are many reasons behind the increase in summer fuel prices, 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: and some are fairly logical. More people traveling, especially on 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: family vacations and road trips, increases demand. Also, in the 7 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: spring months, energy companies conduct maintenance on their refineries, shutting 8 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: them down and limiting capacity until late May, decreasing supply, 9 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: and because of these disruptions, oil supplies can become stretched. 10 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 1: In addition, natural disasters like hurricanes can increase prices by 11 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: disrupting transport routes and damaging refineries and other infrastructure. But 12 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: did you know that the gasoline sold during the summer 13 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: is actually different and more expensive to produce than that 14 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: sold in the winter. Twice every year in the United States, 15 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: the fuel supply changes. It's known as the seasonal gasoline transition. 16 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,559 Speaker 1: This change is the biggest reason for the price hike 17 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: in summer gasoline. Depending on the time of year, gas 18 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 1: stations switch between providing summer grade fuel and winter grade fuel. 19 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: This which started in nine as part of the Reformulated 20 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: Gasoline Program, which was established through the nineteen ninety Clean 21 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: Air Act amendments. The Environmental Protection Agency or EPA, started 22 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: the Reformulated Gasoline Program in order to reduce pollution and 23 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: smog during the summer ozone season, which occurs from June 24 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: first to September fift In order to reduce pollution, summer 25 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: blend fuels use different oxygenates or fuel additives. These blends, 26 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: the e p A says, burn cleaner and also help 27 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: compensate for a limited oil supply. This practice of using 28 00:01:55,400 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: seasonal blends also encourages the development of alternative fuels. Remember 29 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: that gasoline isn't just made up of processed crude oil. 30 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: It's a blend of refined crude oil and different compounds 31 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: and additives. The actual difference in cost of production varies, 32 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: and it can add between five and fifteen cents per 33 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: gallon to the cost of your fill up, depending on 34 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: where you live in the United States. No matter the 35 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: difference in production costs, the increase at the pump is 36 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: even greater owing to the summer driving season dips and 37 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: supply maintenance costs, and companies converting to production of summer blends. 38 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: The summer grade fuel burns cleaner than winter grade fuel. 39 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: This means that it produces less small and releases fewer 40 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: toxic air pollutants. During the summer, pollution is a frequent 41 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: concern due to increased levels of smog and ozone, which 42 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: can harm the lungs. The summer heat boosts the formation 43 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: of ozone, while the appearance of an inversion layer, which 44 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: is an im mobile layer of air, can trap pollutants 45 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 1: in the lower atmosphere. Summer grade fuel has a different 46 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: read vapor pressure, or r VP than winter grade fuel, 47 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: which contributes to its being marginally more eco friendly. R 48 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: VP is the vapor pressure of gasoline measured at a 49 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: hundred degrees fahrenheit that's thirty eight celsius. The fuels with 50 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: higher r VP evaporate more easily than those with lower 51 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: r VP. A particular fuel blends r VP is based 52 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: on the combined r VP of the ingredients that make 53 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: up the blend. Irregulators worry about this evaporation because it 54 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: contributes to ozone formation. The gasoline must have an r 55 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: VP below fourteen point seven pounds per square inch or 56 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: p s I, which is normal atmospheric pressure. If a 57 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: fuel's r VP were greater than that, excess pressure would 58 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: build up in the gas tank and the fuel could 59 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: boil and evaporate. Depending on where you are in the US, 60 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: the e p A standards mandate and r VP below 61 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: either nine point zero or seven point eight p s 62 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: I four summer grade fuel. Some low regulations call for 63 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: stricter standards, and because of these varying r VP standards, 64 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: more than fourteen different types of fuel blends are sold 65 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: throughout the US during the summer. Because r VP standards 66 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: are higher during the winter, winter grade fuel uses more 67 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: buttane as an additive. With its high r VP of 68 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: fifty two p s i. A winter grade gas has 69 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: about ten percent butane in its blend. Butane is inexpensive 70 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: and plentiful, contributing to lower prices. Summer grade fuel might 71 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: still use butane, but in lower quantities around two percent 72 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 1: of a blend. So when do companies start producing these 73 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: different summer fuels. The e p A defines April to 74 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 1: June as the transition season for fuel production. Refineries switch 75 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: over to summer blend production in March and April, and 76 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,279 Speaker 1: gas stations have by June one to switch to selling 77 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: summer grade gas, while terminals and other facilities upstream from 78 00:04:56,080 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: pumping stations have to switch by May one. Following summer 79 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: driving season, companies switch back to winter blends beginning in September, 80 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: with the first winter increase in r VP allowance occurring 81 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: on September. In a two tho one report, the e 82 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: p A said that quote roughly seventy five million Americans 83 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: breathe cleaner air today due to the seasonal fuel program. Still, 84 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: the increased price, combined with the use of controversial additives 85 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: like ethanol, which is less energy efficient than gasoline and 86 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: produces more small, means that the program may still have 87 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: its detractors. In times of crisis or natural disasters, the 88 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: e p A may waive the summer fuel mandates. Two 89 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: recent examples were the ransomware attack that caused the Colonial Pipeline, 90 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: which supplies gas to states all along the East Coast, 91 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: to shut down, and the COVID nineteen pandemic. In In 92 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: the former case, the waiver was to keep fuel prices 93 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: from getting too high, and in the ladder, the drop 94 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: off in gasoline demand meant that more time was needed 95 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: to transition from winter to summer fuel. As gas storage 96 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: is limited. Today's episode is based on the article why 97 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: is gas more expensive in the summer than in the 98 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: winter on house to works dot com written by Jacob Silverman. 99 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 1: Brain Stuff is production of Our Heart Radio in partnership 100 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: with house toffworks dot Com and it's produced by Tyler Klang. 101 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: Four more podcasts from My heart Radio, visit the heart 102 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 103 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: favorite shows.