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We can expect to see higher gas prices this year

Motorists should expect to pay more for gasoline this year than in years past.

Earlier this month the state’s gas tax increased 7.3 cents a gallon, from 19 cents to 26.3 cents. With the increase, Michigan now has the sixth highest gas tax in the country. Prior to Jan. 1, it ranked 18th in the country.

While the state gas tax is a big reason why Michigan motorists will be paying more this year, even without that gas prices across the country have been trending upward.

Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, projects motorists will pay $52 billion more for fuel in 2017 than they did in 2016, with the average price in the U.S. for most the year landing at $2.49 per gallon. He said there will be many areas, however, that experience gas prices this year of over $3 a gallon.

GasBuddy is an Internet technology company that monitors oil and gas prices nationally.

What is frustrating about these new reality is that about this same time last year, gas prices dropped below $2 a gallon for the first time since 2009.

DeHaan said prices this week were 60.8 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 25.9 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 16.2 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 39.3 cents per gallon higher than this week one year ago.

The lowest price for regular unleaded in Alpena Thursday was $2.38 a gallon.

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