The owner of Gorda by the Sea, the lone gas station for several miles in any direction from this remote, scenic hamlet in Big Sur, is charging $9.99 for a gallon of gas because, well, that\u2019s as high as the digital numbers on the gas pumps allow. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe software only goes to $10,\u201d said Leo Flores, owner of the gas station and mini-market. \u201cI know, sometimes someone wants to make a good story because of it, but we have to tell you why.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the lone gas station for at least 12 miles along Highway 1, the service station often prompts drivers to gasp or clutch their wallets at the sight of a $9.99 price tag for a gallon, but Flores insists he\u2019s not trying to price gouge his customers. In fact, he\u2019s worried that if gas prices go much higher, it might put him out of business. <\/p>\n
\u201cPeople think you make money, but I\u2019m not,\u201d he said in an interview with The Times. <\/p>\n
Motorists across the country have been griping since gasoline prices began to surge last month following the start of the U.S. and Israel war with Iraq, which restricted the flow of oil from key oil-producing countries. Flores is an example of how sky-rocketing fuel prices are having ripple effects throughout the economy. <\/p>\n
The isolated gas station has been featured in the news in the past for its high prices but Flores, who has owned the station for the last 30 years, said there\u2019s a simple reason why the cost is so high. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe run this place on generators,\u201d he said. \u201cThe generators run on five to six gallons of gasoline every hour.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just the gas station that runs on generators, he said. The small oceanside community surrounding the gas station \u2014 the mini-market, the cafe, the hotel and nearby cabins \u2014 is owned by Flores and runs on generators because there is no access to an outside electrical plant. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I explain why to people, they\u2019re happy to pay what I ask them,\u201d Flores said. \u201cIt costs me more to make my own electricity.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to AAA, the national average cost of a gallon of regular gas is up to $4.09 and, in California its up to $5.86. In Los Angeles County it\u2019s even higher with one gallon at about $6. At gas stations around Gorda by the Sea, the average cost also sits at $6, according to AAA. <\/p>\n
Flores said he has considered using solar panels to generate electricity but the initial cost is high as well. To raise the prices even higher at the gas station, he\u2019d have to buy new pumps, an investment he\u2019s not sure he could afford now. <\/p>\n
High prices are not his only worry. The entire hamlet can only operate if Flores\u2019 regular gasoline deliveries make it through on Highway 1 every two weeks. <\/p>\n