The U.S. national average gasoline prices are expected to rise to average $2.42 per gallon in 2021, from the lowest since 2016 of $2.17/gal in 2020, due to strengthening economy and higher demand for transportation fuels, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Monday. In 2022, the national motor gasoline average will be $2.43/gal, according to EIA’s latest estimates. On-highway diesel prices are set to rise from $2.55/gal in 2020 to average $2.71/gal this year, and to $2.74/gal next year, the EIA said. “As the vaccines for COVID-19 become more widely distributed in 2021, EIA expects the effects of the pandemic on liquids fuels consumption to moderate,” the administration said. Still, the annual average gasoline consumption will still be lower than the pre-pandemic levels until 2022. Last year, U.S. motor gasoline consumption declined by an estimated 13 percent compared to 2019, according to EIA data. Yet, the decline […]