While it was a fall, the fall was quite small—government figures show that consumption was down by just 0.0006 percent compared to 2016. The demand reduction occurred in the first quarter, corresponding with the inauguration of President Donald Trump. According to Bloomberg, illegal immigrants started driving less after Trump took power for fear of apprehension by immigration officers. Rising oil prices also contributed to lower demand. The average gallon costed $2.39 in 2017, versus $2.12 in 2016, Bloomberg said. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts that demand for gasoline will rise again in 2018. This year, Americans should fill their tanks with 9.33 million barrels per day, and by 2019, that number will rise to 9.4 million barrels per day. A potential gas tax increase could challenge the EIA’s figures, however. Recently Democratic Senator Tom Carper of Delaware said that President Trump was floating the possibility of […]