Trade Commission Says MTBE, Reformulated Fuels Cause Price Spikes

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a study identifying major factors that contribute to increases and fluctuations in gasoline prices in the United States, including several state bans on a widely-used gasoline oxygenate, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), and supply disruptions in cleaner-burning reformulated gasoline required for certain regions of the country to reduce air pollution. The FTC report relies in part on EPA data in its ongoing investigation into antitrust matters related to the petroleum industry. The commission's...