Texas and Georgia have declared emergencies to address record-high diesel prices affecting transportation and agriculture, amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Texas Governor Greg Abbott suspended federal diesel emission rules and raised weight limits for fuel transport, while Georgia Governor Brian Kemp suspended the state's fuel tax for 30 days. In Texas, the average price of diesel is $5.84 per gallon; in Georgia, it’s $6.23 per gallon. These states' actions follow Louisiana’s earlier measures and come as the White House considers its own responses to high diesel prices ahead of the midterm elections.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
States are taking emergency steps to ease record-high diesel prices caused by conflicts abroad as the White House continues to weigh its own measures.
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House → take → measures
Texas and Georgia announced emergency measures Monday aimed at reducing diesel prices, which affect the transportation and agricultural sectors.
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which → announce → sectors
Diesel prices have reached record highs in recent weeks due to conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
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prices → reach → East
In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott declared a 30-day statewide disaster, expanding the use of dyed diesel, raising the allowable weight for fuel, and suspending some federal diesel emission rules.
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Abbott → declare → rules
Dyed diesel is typically reserved for off-road uses, such as farming, and is generally exempt from federal fuel taxes.
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diesel → reserve → taxes
“Texas agriculture and freight run on diesel,” Abbott said in a press release.
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Abbott → run → release
“Record prices put both industries at risk and raise costs for every Texas family.
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prices → put → family
Farmers and truckers can now use dyed diesel on Texas roads, and fuel, crop, and timber loads can move at a higher weight.
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loads → use → weight
These steps cut costs on the farm, on the road, and at the store,” he added.
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he → cut → store
Javier Blas, an energy and commodities columnist at Bloomberg, said on X that Texas’s measure allowing truckers to use dyed diesel could save them 24.4 cents per gallon in federal excise taxes, plus another 20 cents per gallon in Texas state taxes.
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truckers → say → taxes
He noted that the measure doesn’t lower diesel costs to farmers as they already have access to untaxed dyed diesel.
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they → note → diesel
Abbott has also requested that the Environmental Protection Agency waive federal ultra-low sulfur diesel requirements.
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Agency → request → requirements
Georgia has also declared a state of emergency, where Republican Gov. Brian Kemp suspended the fuel tax for 30 days.
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Kemp → declare → days
Kemp also suspended the state’s weight limits on commercial vehicles.
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Kemp → suspend → vehicles
The tax suspension is set to take effect on Tuesday.
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suspension → set → Tuesday
Louisiana was one of the first states to take action on addressing high diesel prices.
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Louisiana → take → prices
Last week, Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) declared a state of emergency to allow farmers and timber harvesters to use dyed diesel they have on hand to help curb prices.
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they → declare → prices
The states’ actions come as the White House is considering its options to ease diesel prices ahead of the November midterm elections.
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House → come → elections
President Donald Trump last week called for a ban on diesel exports to ease prices.
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Trump → call → prices
However, the administration has been split over imposing an export ban.
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administration → split → ban
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has argued that a ban could push fuel prices higher.
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ban → argue → prices
In recent days, it has been reported that the administration is considering alternatives, including allowing for the broader sales of red-dyed diesel.
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administration → report → diesel
The administration has also asked major refineries to commit voluntarily to limiting diesel exports and may encourage states to eliminate excise taxes on diesel.
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administration → ask → diesel
Reuters reported on Tuesday that the White House has asked the European Union to release emergency diesel from its inventories to lower global prices.
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House → report → prices
The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have elevated diesel prices.
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wars → elevate → prices
For instance, in Iran, shipments of fuel flowing through the key trading waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, have been at a standstill.
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shipments → flow → standstill
Russia has also played a role in sending fuel prices up as it has stopped exporting diesel through October.
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it → play → October
Ukrainian drone strikes have also damaged Russian refineries.
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strikes → damage → refineries
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