DOE Holds 2013 Diesel Price Forecast at $3.88
The Department of Energy held its 2013 diesel-price forecast at $3.88 per gallon and said trucking’s main fuel will average $3.77 next year.
Gasoline will average $3.49 a gallon this year, DOE said in its monthly short-term energy outlook released Tuesday.
Gasoline will average $3.37 next year, down a penny from the most recent outlook, the report said.
Diesel averaged $3.97 a gallon last year, while gasoline averaged $3.63 in 2012.
The report noted that energy price forecasts “are highly uncertain, and the current values of futures and options contracts suggest that prices could differ significantly from the projected levels.”
The monthly short-term outlook often lags behind DOE’s weekly price surveys, with diesel at $3.849 and gas at $3.645, DOE said Monday.
The department also increased its crude oil forecast to $93.25 a barrel this year, up 18 cents from last month’s outlook. Oil will average $91.96 next year, the report said.
