Three states pull fuel-emergency levers as diesel nears $6.34

West Virginia: a 60-day fuel emergency

Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a 60-day state of emergency across all 55 West Virginia counties on October 20, suspending penalties for the highway use of red-dyed diesel and directing state agencies to stop fuel inspections for such use. Red-dyed diesel — normally off-limits on highways — saves 20.5 cents per gallon compared to regular highway diesel. m:…2782

The trigger is the price: the average price of diesel in West Virginia reached $6.34 per gallon on October 20, 2026, compared with $3.57 at the same time in 2025. Morrisey framed the order as an affordability play — helping families keep more of their hard-earned money. The state order follows a federal one: President Trump signed an executive order on October 5, 2026, providing temporary federal relief for the highway use of red-dyed diesel. m:…2782

The order's scope is statewide — all 55 counties — but the relief itself is narrow: penalties for highway red-diesel use are suspended and related fuel inspections halted, while the motor fuel excise tax and commercial vehicle safety inspections remain in effect. It is a waiver, not a tax cut. m:…2782

Nebraska: move the fuel faster

Gov. Jim Pillen issued Executive Order 26-25 to address fuel-supply demand: it relaxes hours-of-service requirements for interstate fuel truck drivers and allows fuel-transport vehicles to exceed weight limits by up to 10%, effective through November 18, 2026. m:…7850

Nebraska is not starting from zero: earlier executive orders, effective until December 23, 2026, already authorized red-dye diesel use and a state tax refund for clear diesel in agricultural operations, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued its own hours-of-service waiver on September 16. The earlier orders also allowed increased load capacity for trucks hauling seasonally produced products and livestock. m:…7850

Indiana: keep the gas-tax holiday honest

The Indiana State Board of Finance approved the fourth round of gas tax holiday reimbursements for August 2026 — a total of $102,990,085.62 reimbursed to the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund, the Local Road and Street Fund, and the Local Road and Bridge Matching Fund. Local units of government will receive $19,129,920.09 of that. m:…6901

The point of the reimbursements: the holiday suspends gas-tax collection, so the state backfills road funds to keep local projects whole. This is the fourth round of reimbursements since the holiday began — the mechanism is now routine, with the board approving backfill as collections pause. The board also approved the annual transfer of the first $70 million in gasoline excise tax collections to the State Highway Road Construction and Improvement Fund, with counties, cities, and towns expected to receive payments within two to three business days. m:…6901

Levers, not supply

Notice what none of these moves does: add a single gallon of fuel to the market. Every lever is regulatory — suspend a penalty, relax a weight limit, reimburse a tax. That is the point of emergency powers: they are fast. Building supply takes years; waiving rules takes a signature. m:…2782 m:…7850 m:…6901

The open question is duration. West Virginia's order runs 60 days; Nebraska's through November 18; Indiana's reimbursements cover August. If diesel stays near $6.34, the waivers will either be extended or expire into the same prices — and the next round of declarations will tell you which. m:…2782 m:…7850 m:…6901