Energy department predicts $4.15 gas

SUMMER AT A NATIONAL AVERAGE OF FOUR-FIFTEEN A GALLON. THAT PREDICTION COMES FROM THE U.S. DEP...  More »

SUMMER AT A NATIONAL AVERAGE OF FOUR-FIFTEEN A GALLON. THAT PREDICTION COMES FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ... THE D-O-E ALSO SAYS HIGH GAS PRICES WILL LAST THROUGH THE REST OF THIS YEAR.... AND INTO 2009. STUART DYSON IS LIVE IN OLD TOWN WITH MORE ON THE 'PUMP PREDICTION.' THE ENERGY DEPARTMENT SAYS THE AVERAGE PRICE WILL HIT FOUR FIFTEEN A GALLON IN AUGUST - THEN DROP BELOW FOUR BUCKS AGAIN - AVERAGING THREE DOLLARS AND NINETY TWO CENTS THROUGH NEXT YEAR. BUT THIS IS A REVISION OF AN EARLIER FORECAST THAT WAS MORE OPTIMISTIC - DOES ANYBODY REALLY BELIEVE IT THIS TIME? OUT Q TALK ABOUT STICKER SHOCK - HOW ABOUT SIXTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF GAS! THIS GUY IS TOPPING OFF ONE STATION'S TANKS WITH FOUR THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED GALLONS. 'I'm dropping super right now - then I'm gonna drop medium grade we call it - then the unleaded - regular unleaded CUSTOMERS ARE GETTING USED TO PRICES FLIRTING WITH FOUR BUCKS - BUT NOBODY SEEMS READY TO BELIEVE THEY'LL ACTUALLY PEAK AT FOUR FIFTEEN THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT SAYS THEY WILL. ' Q: How bad do you think it could get? A: Hopefully not more than five dollars a gallon - that would scare me - I'd have to sell my car!''Oil companies want all the profit they can get - that's what business is about - they want to see it go to five dollars - I'm sure.' ISAAC SANCHEZ - FILLING UP HIS PICKUP - SEVENTY TWO BUCKS! ' I don't use the truck very much - I've been riding the motorcycle to work and back - my day off - had to do some chores - so I had to take the truck!' THE NEW ENERGY DEPARTMENT FORECAST PREDICTS OIL PRICES HOVERING ABOVE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY DOLLARS A BARREL FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR - AND RISING A LITTLE IN TWENTY OH NINE. OIL PRICES JUMPED FIVE BUCKS A BARREL TODAY - AND THE NATIONWIDE AVERAGE PRICE FOR GASOLINE IS FOUR DOLLARS AND FIVE CENTS A GALLON - THREE NINETY SIX STATEWIDE AVERAGE - AND ABOUT A DIME CHEAPER IN THE ALBUQUERQUE METRO. QUAIL STUART DYSON EYEWITNESS NEWS  « Less