The federal agency that tracks gasoline prices took issue yesterday with a private survey that concluded Americans are paying more per gallon than at any time in history when inflation is factored in.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said the average price of a gallon of unleaded regular stands at $3.22. The agency pegs the inflation-adjusted record high at $3.29, set in March 1981. The Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War had pushed the average price to $1.42 in real dollars during those early days of Ronald Reagan's presidency.

The EIA's conclusion differed from that of a widely followed private survey released earlier this week.

The Lundberg Survey, which is conducted every two weeks, said the inflation-adjusted price of a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.18. According to Lundberg, that price beats the 1981 record of $1.35 - or $3.15 in today's dollars.

The EIA also said there are other factors to consider when trying to put gasoline prices in historical context. Thanks to increased fuel efficiency in vehicles drivers spend less on gasoline on average for each mile they drive, the EIA said.

The agency also noted that the amount of money Americans spend on gasoline represents less than 3 percent of the overall economy, compared to 4.6 percent in 1980 when Jimmy Carter huddled in the White House in sweaters in order to impress on the nation the importance of turning the thermostat down and conserving energy.

None of that is likely to be any comfort for drivers trying to figure out why prices have practically doubled in three years as they head out for Memorial Day weekend trips.

"Whether retail prices are at an all-time inflation-adjusted high or not is less important than the notion that prices are very high for the United States," the EIA said in its weekly report. "Whether they are at a record level, or just shy of one, doesn't change the price of a gallon of gasoline by even 1 cent."

The price the average Joe or Jane pays at the pump is affected by a diverse and incredibly complex set of dynamics. Geopolitics, the condition of rigs and refineries, the state of the overall economy and the whims of Big Oil and Congress are among the dynamics that affect gas prices.

Experts point to outages at refineries, those unsightly, sp*****ing complexes that turn crude oil into product, as a main reason for the recent price spike. Refineries have cut back on production due to maintenance and unexpected interruptions.

With those cutbacks, even the 1 percent increase in demand for gasoline compared to last year has an effect, said Shawkat Hammoudeh, professor of economics at Drexel University in Philadelphia. That is equivalent to 100,000 barrels of gasoline a day, he said.

"There is no slack in the system," he said. "Any force has a disproportionate impact on prices," he said.

But outages are not the only cause of the high prices. The growing world economy, the war in Iraq and Americans' refusal to cut back on their usage have also pushed gas prices well past the $3 a gallon mark.

Consumers and Congress have also contributed to the high prices, said Sterling Burnett, a senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas.

Consumers shy away from buying cars that get good gas mileage and Congress, in the name of environmentalism, requires 19 different blends of gasoline, many of them mandated in select geographic areas and by the season of the year, he said. Until 2005, the government mandated 50 blends, he said.

Having to turn out so many different blends puts a strain on the refinery system, he said.

There hasn't been a refinery built in the United States in more than 20 years, Burnett said. A number of refineries because they did not produce fat profit margins and layers of environmental regulations made them less profitable, he said.

Congress has also restricted drilling in new offshore areas, he said.

"We're demanding more gas at a time when we don't have more gas being produced," he said. "That's the economics 101 explanation for it."

By Burnett's count, more than 60 vehicles on the market get more than 30 miles a gallon and 40 that get more than 40 miles a gallon. "And none of them are top sellers," he said. "How is that the car makers' fault?"

Some analysts have predicted the average price could reach $4. But Mehdi Noorbaksh, associate professor of international affairs at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Harrisburg, Pa., said he does not expect that to happen.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries would not allow prices to climb that high because it would further encourage the development of alternative sources of energy, he said.