Rural states among those most vulnerable to gas price hikes

U.S. drivers spent a smaller share of their income on gasoline in 2009 than in previous years, but several rural states are among those most at risk to gasoline price fluctuations, says a new report. The report, released by the Natural Resources Defense Council, says "states would be wise to act now to promote alternatives to petroleum-based transportation fuels" as gas prices are expected to increase again as the economy improves, Jason Plautz of Environment & Energy News reports. Mississippi and Montana were ranked the two states the most vulnerable to gas price fluctuations with residents of both states spending over six percent of their income on gasoline.

Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Utah, Idaho and Arkansas rounded out the top ten list of states most vulnerable to gas price fluctuations. Deron Lovaas, federal transportation policy director for NRDC and the report's author, said "a state's high ranking on the vulnerability scale could be due to sprawling development that forces people to drive more or inefficient government fleets that drive up oil consumption," Plautz writes. "The calculation is also dependent on income, which puts poorer states like Mississippi at a disadvantage."

The report also ranked the 10 states doing the most to reduce their dependence on oil, headlined by California, Oregon, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. The states doing the least to wean themselves from oil include Alaska, Wyoming, Nebraska, Ohio and West Virginia. "We currently don't control our destiny when it comes to the cost of gasoline," Lovaas told Plautz. "State and federal leaders can put us right back in the driver's seat. ... They can and should adopt policies" to reduce oil dependence. (Read more, subscription required)