Robert Kittle
My wife and I crossed nine state lines from Michigan to Arizona this fall and were shocked when we found fuel prices were almost $1 per gallon higher in Arizona than we were paying on the road. I wondered why that was, so I started to dig.
According to AAA’s latest fuel price data, Arizona’s average regular unleaded gas price as of Nov. 4 was $3.35, 10% above the national average of $3.05, ranking Arizona the eighth worst in the country. Maricopa County’s average was $3.59, or 15% higher than the national average and 7% higher than the state average. AAA’s data shows 32 states with unleaded fuel prices below $3, the lowest 10 ranging from $2.58 to $2.69.
I got tired of paying such a hefty penalty for fuel, so I decided to write to Arizona’s state legislators to see what they had in store to help ease the pain at the pump. I sent an email to Arizona District 13’s Representatives Julie Willoughby and Jeff Weninger, as well as District 13 Senator JD Mesnard.
In short order, I was pleased to receive responses from two of the three legislators. The first was from State Rep (and minority Whip) Julie Willoughby who advised that due to smog, Maricopa and Pinal Counties pay more for gas than the rest of the state because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that gas stations in smog areas only sell “Cleaner Burning Gasoline.” The only refineries that produce that special blend of fuel for Arizona are in California.
In her reply, Rep Willoughby advised, “If we want lower gas prices in Maricopa County, then we need the EPA to lift the fuel standards for these areas or build a new pipeline from El Paso to allow more refineries in Texas to produce our unique blend at a lower cost.”
State Rep Jeff Weninger’s response soon followed, and he complimented Rep Willoughby, saying her reply was excellent and timely, because there was an article in the paper that suggested a solution may be coming. Rep Weninger was referring to an Oct. 23, 2025, Arizona Republic article by Sasha Hupka titled “New pipeline will bring gas from Texas to Arizona.”
The article leads in with the following:
Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan plan to build and operate a new pipeline connecting Texas and Arizona.
The 20-inch, 1,300-mile pipeline would transport gasoline and other refined petroleum products from Borger—a small city in the Texas Panhandle—to Phoenix. Its proposed path would run through El Paso and Tucson.
The project, called the Western Gateway Pipeline, would ultimately create a pathway connecting refineries in Texas and the Midwest to a number of western states, including Arizona and California.
I don’t know how long it will take, but it’s reassuring to know there are plans in motion. If you’d like to keep these plans moving, I might suggest you contact your Arizona legislators to encourage them.
Bob Kittle is a retired entrepreneur and government data specialist. He spent half his career working in the public sector, first as a city councilman, and then he founded a government performance measurement and analytics company.
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