Gas prices.... Gouging?

[Prudence]

I'm curious what deals the states could have made when permitting the refineries that are in place now. The regions that contain the refineries and the pipelines bear the social and environmental burdens that accompany those entities. I imagine it must be some frustration for them to watch a larger percentage of the gas produced in their region head elsewhere, leaving lower supply and higher prices -- and the same social/environmental burdens -- in that region.

(Sometimes a region does protect its interests -- such as when earlier this year northwest senators from both parties killed the proposal to require Bonneville Power Administration to charge market rates in this area.)