Speaker Michael J Osborne of Austin Energy

Michael J Osborne, of Austin Energy, was kind enough to stop by our monthly meeting and say a few words about Austin Energy's efforts to lead the way in energy efficiency, and how the organization is charting its way into the 21st century - a century sure to be marked by energy scarcity rather than abundance.

I thought the most interesting part of his presentation was talking about a vision of replacing the current 'base load' of energy - the fraction of power plants that are always 'on' - with renewable energy. Slowly, of course and perhaps that base load will always include a fraction of traditional energy. This to me really seems to be moving past the rhetoric, moving past the ideals espoused by so many in the peak oil movement, and getting down to brass tacks -- exactly HOW we are going to make the transition from traditional energy into renewables.

Talking about wind and solar power in Texas, this is a reality happening NOW. Of course my belief is that renewables will NOT allow us to live as we are right now ... conservation and 'cutting back' will HAVE TO be a part of our future energy use. But the future won't be the dark ages, we will use some form of energy to heat our homes and to power mechanical devices -- as humanity has always done.

I think the choice is between saying the future will be awful, which inspires fearful complacency -- and saying that we can use our immense bank of fossil fuels to build an infrastructure of renenwable energy - wind farms, solar panels etc.

The peak oil movement needs to take a cue from Al Gore - that narrative MATTERS. Immensely. The peak oil movement needs to coalesce behind a narrative, not for the sake of conformity, but for the sake of DOING SOMETHING rather than simply being helpless seers of an energy-poor future.