Search
What would (will) $5-per-gallon gas mean for the North Country?
By JACK DOWNS
Blame the speculators, OPEC, the Chinese, environmentalists, George Bush, Big Oil, the car companies, aliens - blame whoever you want: The price of gas and home-heating fuel is on the way up.
In the long run, this is a good thing. Higher fuel prices will push consumers to demand efficiency and alternatives. And without consumer demand, nothing happens in this country.
But in the short run, skyrocketing energy prices will be painful, even dangerous. What will it mean for the North Country?
REAL-ESTATE REGRET: If you work in Plattsburgh, but live in Altona, you've already begun to feel the cost/benefit equation shifting. Now imagine $5-per-gallon gas. Low taxes and affordable property won't be enough to balance the increased cost of commuting. The result? Property values near employment centers will increase while rural values stabilize or slip. And the impact near Plattsburgh, with its low electricity rates, will be even more dramatic. I'd guess that rents in the city will also increase.
WINTER WORRIES AND WORSE: This winter, the fuel-oil shock will hit the rural poor like a cold slap in the face. Without major public assistance, there will be families in the cold. And the first 20-below cold snap will bring economic disaster to many. Let's just hope it doesn't bring physical harm to some.
RETURN OF THE SMALL-TOWN MERCHANT: For years, the business base in small towns and hamlets throughout the North Country has eroded. You ask yourself: "Why spend a few dollars extra on groceries when you can get them cheaper, with more choice, in a large grocery store?" Well, that calculation has changed. Now the question becomes: "Why drive all the way to the grocery store when I can drive (or walk, or bike) a short distance and get what I need nearby?" Maybe places like the Village of Dannemora will get their grocery stores back.
DEMISE OF THE DISCOUNT GAS STATION: When gas cost $1.80 a gallon, it made sense to drive a bit farther to buy gas at $1.75. But when gas costs $5 a gallon, it no longer make any sense go drive a farther to buy it at $4.95. Those slightly out-of-the-way gas stations that made their money selling fuel a few cents cheaper better find a new attraction.
