Consumers Clobbered by Sky-High Gas Prices in February  High
crude oil prices, investor speculation and refinery maintenance
have propelled gas prices sky high.  Americans spent 5.5 billion
additional hours sitting in traffic in 2011, a study found.
"From a geopolitical standpoint, it would give us a huge
advantage," says a spokesman for Clean Energy Fuels.   Despite
chillier weather outdoors, gas prices are heating up across the
country, rising sooner and faster than in previous years, and
causing consumers some serious sticker shock at the pump.
[READ: U.S. Energy Policy Lagging Practice]  But while consumers
might be puzzled about the unexpected price spike, experts are
feeling a bit of deja vu. In the past gas prices have fallen in
February as demand abates and drivers travel less, but that
wasn't the case last February, when the same type of run-up in
prices happened sending gas soaring to almost $3.60 a gallon.
Some of the recent spikes are due to the warmer-than-usual
winter weather in parts of th