Gasoline prices below $1.00 per gallon?

There are reports recently that prices at the pump in the United States could dip below $1.00 per gallon in 2009! Can you believe this? I personally never thought that I would see gasoline less than $2.00 a gallon in my lifetime, so to actually see it sell for a dollar would be quite a shock.

How do you think these low prices will affect the mentality of the US populace? Will people return to their gas guzzlers? Will demand go up and will we see people driving more and taking more trips, etc?

For me, the most harmful result of low prices at the pump would be a loss of momentum for alternative energy vehicles. Would our troubled auto makers continue to invest in hybrids and electric vehicles with these low prices? I certainly hope so but can easily see this not happening!