2005 Gasoline Report: Hurricane Katrina

Hundreds of Arizona consumers called the Attorney General’s Office to investigate whether illegal conduct was responsible for Arizona’s gasoline prices jumping 48 cents in the days following Hurricane Katrina. On September 9, 2005, Attorney General Terry Goddard launched civil antitrust and consumer fraud investigations into the causes of Arizona’s high gasoline prices. The Antitrust Unit issued 45 Civil Investigative Demands to a cross-section of Arizona’s gasoline wholesalers, distributors, retailers and related parties. The CIDs requested information and data regarding supply, demand, sales, prices and industry communications from August 1, 2005 through September 9, 2005. ATU thoroughly examined all of the information provided by the CID recipients, conducted interviews and performed independent market research to determine whether Arizona’s abnormally high prices were the result of collusion or other anti-competitive or fraudulent practices prohibited by law. The investigation did not uncover any illegal conduct.