The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects nationwide retail gasoline prices to average near $4.30 a gallon for April 2026 -- the highest monthly average of the year. The political response has been familiar. Georgia has suspended its state gas tax , other states are weighing their own tax holidays, and the White House has issued a temporary waiver of a law known as the Jones Act in hopes of moving more domestic fuel to East Coast ports. As an energy economist , I am often asked about