In an article about the ripple effects of high oil prices in the global economy, analyst Shlok Vaidya reserved a section for the economic straits that rural United States communities will find themselves in. The jury is out on how well they will be able to adapt.

Anmore, a village in B.C., will soon be producing enough energy through alternative sources to cover its needs. The project is run by a foundation created and owned by the village, in collaboration with several levels of government and the utility BC Hydro.

The residents of rural Freiamt, Germany produce 17 percent more electricity than they use, boosting their bottom line and proving that green isn’t just for geeky idealists.

As the inevitable shadow of high-priced and carbon-emitting fossil fuels looms, Nova Scotia's municipality of Clare is sowing its own seeds of self-sufficiency, based on its kinship with a tiny European local energy leader Güssing, Austria.

The wide open spaces of Oklahoma's cities and towns mean that their residents are heavily reliant on cars to get around - part of the reason that Tulsa and Oklahoma rated last on Common Current's rating of US cities' readiness for high gas prices. Commuters find themselves carpooling and counting the gallons in ways they haven't since the 70s.

Program Manager Daniel Lerch starts a two week trip to the British Isles at a symposium for local officials, planners, architects and builders in Kilkenny, Ireland.

With high energy prices, distance really makes a difference. Remote Gordo, California is seeing what may be the highest gas prices in the country; but it's not just gas that's expensive. Their distance from larger cities makes everything cost more - a difference that will just be amplified as energy prices soar.

This is a draft of the final report of the Haines Energy Task Force of Haines Borough, Alaska.

Environmentalists calculate that a new development in Maine's north woods could generate 500,000 tons of CO₂ over 50 years, and are asking state regulators to keep these impacts in mind when considering the developer's zoning application. A huge piece of that emissions total is caused by the development's remote location, which would require residents to drive great distances regularly. This climate-change based challenge may be a first in the nation.

The costs of globally tight oil supplies are already being felt by Vermonters whose budgets are stretched to heat their homes and put food on the table. There is little to no response at the federal level. At the state level, the Energy Affordability and Climate Change bill that was passed by the state legislature but vetoed by the governor would have been a positive step. Vermont, with cold winters and economic dependence on tourism, has a lot of adjustments to make.