The rapid decline in oil prices brought good news for most Americans, who saw lower prices at their local gas station for the past several months. For those in the oil industry, particularly in energy hot spots like Texas, the news was not as well-received. The price drop has led to layoffs and uncertainty over the potential effect on new construction. “Right now we don’t know how long it’s going to last,” says Patrick Jankowski, senior vice president of research at the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), an economic development group serving the Houston area. “It looks like we’re in for 12 to 24 months with uncertainty and unease. But by 2017 we should be in good shape.” According to a report from GHP, the spot price for West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark for light sweet crude oil, peaked at $107.95 a barrel on June 20, 2014. The price was $47.53 on March 24 of this year, which represents a decline of 56 percent. In January, crude traded as low as $44.45 a barrel. Jankowski says prices on both ends of the extreme are unsustainable. Oil prices under $45 per barrel can’t and won’t last; at the same time, neither …
