В этом месяце губернаторы нескольких штатов подписали чрезвычайные распоряжения после того, как цены на дизельное топливо превысили шесть долларов за галлон, а на некоторых заправочных станциях во время уборочной кампании начался дефицит топлива. Власти объясняют это интенсивными сельскохозяйственными работами, а также ...
Сообщение Planet-Today.com. Перевод заголовка и краткого описания выполнен автоматически.
Governors in several states have signed emergency orders this month after diesel prices climbed past six dollars a gallon and some pumps ran low during harvest. Officials point to busy farm work plus global supply problems. Alternative reports describe a deeper shortage tied to fighting abroad. The gap between the two stories is worth a closer look.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed Executive Order 26-25 on October 19. It lets fuel trucks carry up to 10 percent more weight on state roads and eases driving-hour rules through November 18. The state office said customers and stores reported shortages of several fuels. Haulers had to drive farther to find product. A federal hours waiver already ran longer. Pillen called the mix of global supply hits and a short harvest season the main drivers. Similar steps appeared in other places.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a 60-day emergency on October 20. The order lets people use red-dyed diesel (normally for off-road work) on roads for a while. It aims to cut about 20.5 cents a gallon for some users. AAA data showed West Virginia diesel at $6.34 a gallon that day, up from $3.57 a year earlier. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear acted earlier in October to allow dyed diesel for farmers and truckers. He tied high costs to the war in Iran. Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed an order on October 9. It lets farm and forestry vehicles use dyed diesel and skips some hauling fees. Maryland diesel hit a record $6.467 on October 5, up 76 percent in twelve months. Texas, North Dakota, Illinois, and Michigan also took steps, according to reports that list seven states in total. Louisiana had moved in September.
These are temporary fixes. They do not add more fuel to the system. They only help move what exists a bit faster or cheaper. When a governor lets trucks run heavier or longer, that is triage. It shows the normal system is under stress. One side says harvest demand plus normal seasonal pressure explains most of it. The other side notes that diesel prices were already far above last year before harvest peaked. Midwest on-highway diesel averaged about $6.35 a gallon in mid-October, roughly 78 percent higher than a year earlier. National averages sat near $6.30. Some stations in the Omaha area ran dry for a time as pipeline capacity favored diesel over gasoline during the busy period.
What Officials Say and What the Numbers Show
State offices and the federal government list two main causes. One is the fall harvest. Farmers need diesel for combines and trucks right now. Shared pipelines carry both diesel and gasoline. Heavy diesel loads leave less room for gasoline. The second cause is global. Fighting that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 has raised risks around the Strait of Hormuz. Tanker traffic and insurance costs rose. Middle East refined fuel flows dropped. Saudi Arabia shut its East-West pipeline after drone hits in September. At the same time, Ukrainian strikes have damaged Russian refineries for months. Russia cut diesel exports to protect its own supply. Output fell. One agricultural economist at Kansas State said oil’s rise from the mid-70s to over $100 explains part of the pump jump, but the rest comes from too little diesel in the world. U.S. refineries already run near full capacity.
Federal steps followed. The Energy Department offered loans of 40 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. G7 nations agreed to release up to 100 million barrels of crude and products, starting with diesel. The U.S. asked Germany and France for emergency diesel. On October 9 the Treasury issued General License 135. It opens a window until April 7, 2027 for deals involving Russian-origin diesel, including imports into the United States. President Trump said after a call with President Putin that Russia would send more than 300,000 tons right away, 500,000 tons in November, and more later if refineries allow. Russia agreed to lift its own export limits early. Trump has also blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel plants for part of the U.S. price rise. He asked Kyiv to avoid those targets. Zelensky has said strikes continue unless Russia stops hits on Ukrainian power and heat systems. Both claims sit in the public record. Markets will show which volumes actually move.
Vitol’s CEO noted that Western inventories have been drawn down. Diesel crack spreads (the gap between diesel and crude prices) widened sharply earlier. Food shippers already feel it. One report said freeze-dried blueberry shipping costs rose as much as 60 percent. Higher diesel hits trucking, farms, and store shelves. Bond yields have also climbed in many places as governments spend more. These facts appear in both official statements and independent tallies.
Two Views of the Same Shortage
One view treats the situation as a temporary mix of harvest timing and overseas fighting. Officials say the orders buy time until more product arrives from reserves, new deals, or normal refinery runs. They point to federal waivers and the Russian license as proof that supply is being restored. Supporters of this view say blaming one war ignores the role of strikes on Russian plants and the simple fact that more trucks are needed right now. They note that some prices eased a few cents after the G7 and Russian announcements, even if levels remain high.
The other view calls the pattern structural. It notes that diesel prices set records weeks before peak harvest and that multiple states acted in the same window. It highlights the Iran conflict as the largest single shock to Middle East flows and points to depleted inventories. Reports from Natural News and others describe a “diesel domino” effect that began earlier and now reaches U.S. farms and food chains. They argue that emergency orders and reserve draws are signs of a deeper shortfall, not proof that the system is fine. Trump’s push for Russian diesel while asking Ukraine to stop certain strikes is read by some as evidence that supply is tight enough to force hard choices. Critics of that deal say it undercuts earlier sanctions. Supporters say high prices hurt American farmers and truckers more than the alternative. Readers can weigh the volumes promised against actual cargo arrivals and price moves in the weeks ahead.
Planet Today has tracked related pieces. One piece examined the temporary U.S. window for Russian diesel and the volumes named after the presidential call. Another looked at the national gasoline average near $4.37 in mid-September and the record diesel prints that followed the Iran strikes. A third covered Trump’s public comments linking Ukrainian refinery hits to U.S. fuel costs. Those reports sit alongside the state orders issued this month.
What Comes Next for Farms, Roads, and Prices
Harvest will finish in the coming weeks. That should ease some Midwest pressure. Winter heating demand will rise in other regions. Refinery work and any further hits on plants abroad will matter. The Russian license runs into spring. G7 and SPR releases are finite. If Hormuz risks stay elevated or Russian output stays limited, the gap between diesel and other fuels can stay wide. Farmers already face higher costs per acre. Trucking surcharges climb with the pump price. Grocery shelves reflect both. Some analysts say prices could stay in the six-to-seven-dollar range for a year unless tensions ease and flows return. Others expect more relief once the new deals and reserve barrels arrive.
States can extend or end the current orders. Nebraska’s weight and hours relief ends in mid-November unless renewed. Maryland’s farm order can last until the end of the year. West Virginia’s is set for 60 days. None of them creates new barrels. They only change how existing barrels move or how much tax is paid on them. Primary documents include the Nebraska executive order, Maryland’s order text, AAA price tables, and the Treasury license notice. Cross-check those against pump surveys and cargo tracking.
The practical question for most people is simple. How long do the high prices last, and how far do the temporary rules reach? Officials say the steps already taken will stabilize the market. Alternative accounts say the underlying shortage is larger than the public statements admit and that more states may follow. Both sides cite the same price charts and the same overseas events. The difference is how much weight each assigns to the Iran fighting, the Russian plant damage, and the timing of harvest. Watch the next few weeks of cargo movements and state-level price data. Those numbers will show which reading was closer.
Original source: Natural News, October 22, 2026 – Seven States Declare Fuel Emergencies. Related Planet Today coverage includes the U.S. window for Russian diesel and earlier notes on the post-Iran fuel shock.
Disclaimer for fact-checkers: Natural News is an independent outlet that often highlights risks and criticizes official narratives. The state emergency orders, AAA prices, Treasury license, and presidential statements cited here are verifiable in public records. Readers should compare primary documents and market data from multiple sources.
