Gas prices ascent slows

DELRAY BEACH — The bad news: Gasoline prices continue to climb, and might continue to climb into June.

The good news: The ascent has slowed somewhat compared to recent weeks.

The Energy Information Administration put the average cost of a gallon of regular at $3.613, up from $3.603 a week ago and $3.332 a month ago.

In Florida, regular averaged $3.616, up from $3.614 a week ago and $3.359 a month ago, according to the federal agency.

Source: EIA

For all grades, the national average sat at $3.663, up from $3.653 last week and $3.381 a month ago. In Florida, the all-grades average was $3.679, up from $3.676 a week ago and $3.422 a month ago.

In Palm Beach County, AAA puts the average cost of regular at $3.738 a gallon compared to $3.453 a month ago. The county continues to have the highest average of any metro area in Florida, as measured by AAA.

Diesel, meanwhile, hit $4.194 a gallon nationally, according to EIA, up from $4.177 a month ago and $3.955 a month ago. The Palm Beach County average: $4.293 a gallon, according to AAA.

EIA’s monthly outlook on energy prices sees regular peaking at $3.73 a gallon in June, and averaging $3.66 through the summer month. That’s about 20 cents higher than EIA projected a month ago.

For the year, EIA sees crude averaging $110 a barrel this year, and $103 next year — about $9 higher than EIA projected in April. For 2007, crude averaged $72.07 a barrel.