Prices have been dropping the last few days in my neighboorhood. Trilby Lundberg, the nation's guru of gasoline prices, has no idea how many miles her new Mercedes-Benz gets per gallon. When she has to fill the tank, she's more concerned with convenience than price. Yet for decades, the nation has turned to the assertive, 57-year-old cat lover and her twice-monthly Lundberg Survey of gas stations to keep track of the fluctuating price of gasoline.
Lately, the news hasn't been good. On Aug. 13, Lundberg reported the nationwide price for self-serve regular hit another record, jumping to nearly $3.03 a gallon.
Lundberg said the cost of crude oil isn't the only reason for the skyrocketing prices. Demand, taxes, weather and government regulations
Are there five oil industry executives someplace deciding the price of gas? "That would be tragic because that would wreck the market," she said. "And it would be a comedy because it is impossible." Lundberg said oil companies have no interest in helping each other and instead want to increase their sales at the expense of the competition. "They all have no mercy," she said.
Interest in the price data could increase after this month's shutdown of a crucial Alaskan pipeline by oil giant BP. Lundberg, however, doesn't expect much impact at the pump, even though the shutdown means a temporary loss of as much as 8 percent of domestic production. "Unlike many of the jumps in oil prices from world headlines, especially from unstable areas of the world, this is a production loss," she said. "But there's still no shortage."
Watching the oil industry has led Lundberg to some interesting conclusions.
She condemns the "overzealous meddling" of the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies, and said government-mandated reformulation of unleaded gas and engine modifications aimed at curtailing emissions are more to blame for gas price increases than the worldwide Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
She also criticized the "woefully ignorant" media and public perception about gas prices. "It is wild-headed and often destructive," she said of the reporting. "The explanation can be boring, it can be a little bit dry, it takes a long time, and the majority of folks simply do not have that time and do not have the interest."
Lundberg has strong opinions on other issues. For instance, she calls global warming a "boogeyman for political opportunism." Those who promote the theory are trying to create a power base and "believe global warming is a reason to hike taxes and hike prices," she said.
Lundberg balks at suggestions that she is a tool of the oil industry. "What hurts me is those who call me an oil apologist or self-styled consumer advocate. I'm not," she said. "I do have passionate feelings about that."
Bob Slaughter, president of the National Petrochemical & Refining Association, said Lundberg is highly respected in the industry. "She's a character," he said. "She's first there with a national gasoline price and I think everybody from the media to (Wall) Street to the oil industry looks forward to hearing from her."