We’re going to see a major shift in human behavior in the next 10-20 years. Rather than (or in addition to) moving into walkable communities like the downtown, people will learn to live in big houses with grass lawns without wasting energy on transportation.
To give an idea what can be achieved with existing technology if we start running out of oil. Properly installed 200 sq.ft. solar panel array (around $10k) can generate enough electricity to power a plug-in hybrid car (modified Prius with an extra pack of lead-acid batteries and a wall charger, $10-15k in parts and installation) for 12000 miles a year. Solar panels can last for a very long time, we’re not at risk of running out of sun, lead-acid batteries are relatively easy to maintain. A single up-front investment of 10% of the price of your house will pay for all your trips to work for the next 20 years.
On top of that, people will carpool far more often, electric cars will be more widespread, hopefully solar panel prices will come down.
