If we still have the same demand, but we restrict supply, prices will go up.

If we still have the same demand and force supply to fall, prices will go up.

Apparently Suncor (Colorado's sole refinery) had some troubles in the recent cold, enough that they'll have to shut down for a few months to make repairs.

This is a problem considering (and I quote the CPR article linked first below), " ... Suncor supplies between 35 to 40 percent of all gasoline sold in Colorado."


Any guesses as to what this means for fuel prices (not to mention the things you don't normally think about--Suncor makes a big chunk of our state's asphalt and jet fuel).

It has been interesting to me to note the reaction by environmentalists on the internet.  As you might imagine, and as I've mentioned in previous posts, the main thing of note for them was how (and I summarize perhaps unfairly here) we'd all notice how much better our air was without Suncor operating, not the effect on everyday people trying to live their lives.

In the interest of balance, I did want to mention one more thing.  The second link below details mitigation efforts taken by Gov Polis after the shutdown.  They're mostly regulatory, probably won't have too much of an effect on prices, but they are not nothing.  I mean, I'd rather had eased regulations that would make it easier to build a refinery so we might have more than one in this state, but it is an effort taken by him to help the situation and by rights should be noted.

https://www.cpr.org/2022/12/29/suncor-has-shut-down-colorados-only-refinery-thats-raising-concerns-about-air-quality-and-higher-gas-prices/

https://www.fox21news.com/news/jared-polis-activates-state-emergency-operations-plan-to-mitigate-suncor-shutdown/