# A refinery goes dark and the Midwest pays

> One power outage at an Illinois refinery is about to show up at pumps across four states.
- Title: A refinery goes dark and the Midwest pays · Newsweek
- Summary: One power outage at an Illinois refinery is about to show up at pumps across four states. Gas prices are set by refineries, not just crude. When one big…
- Keywords: gas prices, refineries, midwest, oil, inflation, refinery, goes, dark, pays, Newsweek
- Source: Newsweek — https://newsweek.com/map-shows-states-where-gas-prices-could-surge-12445760
- Published: 2026-09-15T19:53:56+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: gas prices, refineries, midwest, oil, inflation
## The plant that went dark
ExxonMobil's refinery in Joliet, Illinois lost power entirely on Monday and shut down. It normally runs about 275,000 barrels of crude a day.
## Six percent of the Midwest
Joliet handles roughly 6 percent of all Midwest refining capacity, which makes it one of the region's most important fuel suppliers.
## Four states on notice
GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan warned drivers in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin to expect higher gas and diesel very soon. Michigan already took its jump.

> we are likely to see gas prices and diesel move higher *very* soon in: IL, IN, OH, WI
## Already climbing everywhere
The national average hit $4.25 a gallon on Monday, up 17.2 cents in a week. Prices rose in every single state.
## Oil above $100
Friction between the U.S. and Iran, new hostilities in the Red Sea, and the shutdown of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline pushed crude past $100 a barrel. Attacks knocked two more Russian refineries offline.

> 2026 is anything but a normal energy market
## The West is worse
California leads the country at $5.81 a gallon, then Washington at $5.48, Hawaii at $5.42 and Oregon at $5.00. Oregon jumped 7.2 percent in a month.
## Crude is not gasoline
Plenty of oil in the ground does not help if there is nowhere to refine it. Lose a big plant and finished fuel supply tightens fast.

> You can have plenty of crude oil available, but consumers cannot put crude oil in their gas tanks
## No room for error
Winter-blend fuel and softer fall demand usually bring relief. This year, refinery maintenance and tight global supply mean expect volatility, not one clean surge.

> there is much less room for something else to go wrong
## Key takeaway

Gas prices are set by refineries, not just crude. When one big plant drops offline, nearby drivers feel it within days.