Six fixes for pricey gasoline

Ideas to help people ease the burden of high gas prices are swirling in Washington. Will any of them work?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — With a nationwide average gas price of just about $4 a gallon, lots of people are thinking there must be something the government can do to help.

Some things which contribute to high gas prices are largely out of the government’s control. OPEC will produce as little oil as it sees fit, largely independent of any U.S. intervention. Developing nations will continue to subsidize gas prices, helping their growing economies and keeping demand high.


Areas where the government can help, like a big push into alternative energy, more drilling in the United States, or a jump in fuel efficiency standards, will take years to materialize. Even then, any price decline is likely to be small.

As consumers scramble to adjust their lives to deal with high gas prices, experts debate what the government can do to help in the short term.

CNN