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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Gasoline prices extended their downward slide Wednesday, falling by exactly two cents, according to travel club AAA's daily fuel report.

The nationwide average price for a gallon of regular unleaded fell to $2.593, down from Tuesday's price of $2.613.

The average price for regular unleaded is 15 percent lower than when it hit a record high of $3.05 on Labor Day in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Retail diesel, which has not experienced such significant price declines as gasoline, dipped by less than a penny Wednesday to $3.21 a gallon from $3.218 Tuesday. Diesel prices are up about 44 percent from last year.

Gas prices have steadily fallen during the past two weeks on signs that soaring energy prices are finally starting to curb consumption.

According to a separate survey published Sunday, the average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the United States fell more than 25 cents during the past two weeks to $2.66, marking its biggest decline in 50 years.

"The drop is mostly from refining capacity comeback and, to a lesser degree, lower demand," said Trilby Lundberg, publisher of the Lundberg Survey, which compared prices tallied Oct. 21 and Oct. 7 at about 5,000 gas stations in all 50 states.

AAA's daily fuel pricing survey reported that residents pay the most in Hawaii, where the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.106. They pay the least in Oklahoma, where $2.227 was the average price Wednesday.

Midgrade gasoline prices fell over two cents Wednesday to $2.754 a gallon from Tuesday's price of $2.776, while the cost of premium unleaded fell to $2.854 a gallon from $2.876 on Tuesday..

The U.S. government is scheduled to release new inventory data on all petroleum products at 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, which will reveal whether gasoline consumption continues to remain low despite the recent decline in pump prices.

Last week's report showed the demand for gasoline fell 2.2 percent and distillate demand was down 4 percent.

Although the price of regular unleaded has moved off its highs and is starting to track downward, prices are still stronger than a year ago. At that time, the average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was about 57 cents cheaper at $2.019, according to AAA.

Analysts say gas prices are falling as the U.S., the world's biggest user of fuel, puts the brakes on consumption. However, many expect prices to rebound as winter approaches.

-- from staff and wire reports

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