The Record

Energy

Two records. Pump is the gallon at the station. Barrels is crude out of the ground versus what we still import. Separate videos for each. Play from Bush 41 forward.

Energy · 1 of 2

Pump

Brick is the average pump price. Steel is that same gallon in 2026 dollars. This week — August 17, 2026 — regular printed $4.05.

Average pump

$2.24

38 years shown

In 2026 dollars

$3.42

CPI-U, July 2026

Peak year

$3.96

2022 · $4.51 real

At this president

Donald Trump

Trump 2

2025–2026 · YTD

At the pump2026 dollars
$0$1.5$3$4.5$6$1.09$2.75Bush 41$1.16$2.45Clinton$2.13$3.62Bush 43$2.96$4.32Obama$2.48$3.28Trump 1$3.45$3.90Biden$3.42$3.49Trump 2
George H. W. Bush

Bush 41

1989–1992

Pump
$1.09
2026 $
$2.75
Peak
1990
Bill Clinton

Clinton

1993–2000

Pump
$1.16
2026 $
$2.45
Peak
2000
George W. Bush

Bush 43

2001–2008

Pump
$2.13
2026 $
$3.62
Peak
2008
Barack Obama

Obama

2009–2016

Pump
$2.96
2026 $
$4.32
Peak
2012
Donald Trump

Trump 1

2017–2020

Pump
$2.48
2026 $
$3.28
Peak
2018
Joe Biden

Biden

2021–2024

Pump
$3.45
2026 $
$3.90
Peak
2022
Donald Trump

Trump 2

2025–2026

Pump
$3.42
2026 $
$3.49
Peak
2026

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Portrait video for X. Open the stage, press Replay, or download the MP4.

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Energy · 2 of 2

Barrels

Brick is U.S. crude production. Steel is net crude imports. Same units — million barrels a day. SPR change and the Cushing price sit in the numbers. 2026 production is through May; the reserve is the week of August 14.

Produced

13.7

million bbl/d

Net imports

1.61

million bbl/d

SPR

293M

barrels in reserve

At this year

Donald Trump

2026*

Trump 2 · $83.38 WTI · SPR −100.1M

ProducedNet imports
0369121589939701050913172125

By administration

George H. W. Bush

Bush 41

1989–1992

Prod
7.39
SPR Δ
+15.2M
WTI
$21.57
Bill Clinton

Clinton

1993–2000

Prod
6.37
SPR Δ
−34.0M
WTI
$20.12
George W. Bush

Bush 43

2001–2008

Prod
5.37
SPR Δ
+161.1M
WTI
$52.43
Barack Obama

Obama

2009–2016

Prod
7.20
SPR Δ
−6.7M
WTI
$76.68
Donald Trump

Trump 1

2017–2020

Prod
11.0
SPR Δ
−57.0M
WTI
$53.05
Joe Biden

Biden

2021–2024

Prod
12.4
SPR Δ
−244.5M
WTI
$79.31
Donald Trump

Trump 2

2025–2026

Prod
13.6
SPR Δ
−100.1M
WTI
$74.38

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Notes

Pump prices include taxes. 2026 is the weekly mean through August 17.

Production and net imports are thousand barrels per day, shown as million. SPR change is end of term minus end of the previous administration.

  • 1991–2025 annual averages. EIA U.S. Regular All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices, via FRED GASREGM. Calendar-year mean of monthly observations, dollars per gallon including taxes.
  • 2026 year-to-date. FRED GASREGW weekly regular all-formulations, mean of 33 weeks from January 5 through August 17, 2026 ($3.74). The week of August 17 printed $4.05.
  • 1989–1990. EIA Annual Energy Review / Monthly Energy Review Table 9.4, unleaded regular, U.S. city average. The all-formulations monthly series starts in 1990.
  • Inflation adjustment. BLS CPI-U all items, not seasonally adjusted (FRED CPIAUCNS). Each year’s nominal average is multiplied by 333.918 / that year’s CPI. 333.918 is July 2026. October 2025 is interpolated as the midpoint of September and November.
  • U.S. crude production 1989–2025. EIA U.S. Field Production of Crude Oil (PET.MCRFPUS2), thousand barrels per day, calendar-year average.
  • Net crude imports 1989–2025. EIA U.S. Net Imports of Crude Oil (PET.MCRNTUS2) — crude imports minus crude exports, thousand barrels per day. Not crude-plus-products.
  • 2026 production and net imports. EIA Petroleum Supply Monthly, January–May 2026 average. Production 13,685 thousand bbl/d; net imports 1,608. Released July 31, 2026.
  • Strategic Petroleum Reserve. EIA ending stocks of crude oil in SPR (PET.MCSSTUS1). 1989–2025 are December. 2026 is weekly PET.WCSSTUS1, week ending August 14: 293.4 million barrels. Change by administration is end of term minus end of the previous administration (year-end 1988 for Bush 41).
  • WTI Cushing. EIA Cushing OK WTI Spot Price FOB (RWTC), dollars per barrel. 1989–2025 annual averages. 2026 is the January–July monthly average ($83.38). Week ending August 14 printed $84.05.

Source: EIA regular all-formulations · FRED GASREGM / GASREGW · 2026 through Aug 17. Source: EIA field production · net crude imports · SPR · WTI Cushing · 2026 YTD.