In a statement on the announcement, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday described the effort as “strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th.”
This is being done to make sure “sufficient supply flows to the tri-state and northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most,” she said.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is laser focused on lowering prices at the pump for American families, especially as drivers hit the road for summer driving season,” Granholm added.
Typically, gasoline prices rise in the summer as Americans hit the roads amid warm weather and summer vacations.
Gasoline prices are often controlled by cyclical and global factors, while presidents have limited impacts. Nevertheless, the prices are often the subject of political scrutiny, especially in an election year.
Congress mandated the sale of the gasoline in the Northeast reserve as part of a bill to keep the government open earlier this year. Once the barrels are sold, the legislation directs the administration to close the reserve, which was created after Superstorm Sandy.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
