The shutdown of crucial fuel pipelines to metro Atlanta and much of the East Coast has not yet battered supplies locally, even as prices at the gas pump have edged up.
Turning off much of Alpharetta-based Colonial Pipeline’s system in the wake of a ransomware attack may have only limited regional impact — if the company can get its system back online quickly.
On Monday, Colonial said it has a “goal of substantially restoring operational service by the end of the week.” The company said it supplies about 45% of fuel consumed on the East Coast, with more than 5,500 miles of pipeline funneling gasoline, diesel and other products from Houston area refineries to the Southeast and further north.
AAA predicts gasoline prices in this region could rise three to seven cents per gallon this week, but that there also could be “limited fuel availability” in places. A spokeswoman cautioned that prices could go higher and shortages spread if the shutdown lingers.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Georgia on Monday was $2.76, up 6 cents from a week ago.
In metro Atlanta, GasBuddy logged the price of a gallon at about $2.83, an increase of nearly 8 cents from the day before. And the company turned on its app’s “fuel availability tracker” feature for the Southeastern states, including Georgia, that it thinks might become the most impacted.
Retailers have been trying to line up alternative supplies for gasoline, including the possibility of buying fuel that is barged into Jacksonville, according to Angela Holland, the president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores. She said retailers have outlasted pipeline shutdowns in the past and she predicted shortages would be limited locally if consumers don’t panic. One plus: Local driving and gasoline consumption have remained lower than normal during the pandemic, Holland said.
Jet fuel carried by Colonial is used at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. On Monday, the airport said it has yet to be affected and that it and airlines are coordinating with additional suppliers to augment the airport’s fuel inventory.
— Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this article.
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