This particular story can probably be traced back a few years to this gentleman:
Gas, Gas, Gas
Mr Bartlett was associated with these fine folks:
NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS.
This group might be what gives the Illuminati conspiracy believers their nightmares. They use misinformation and outright lies to try and influence public policy in favor of big business.
NCPA is basically a PR firm for big energy and big business posing as a think tank. Follow the money:
Sourcewatch
Major donors:
* Castle Rock Foundation
* Earhart Foundation
* JM Foundation
* Koch Family Foundations
* John M. Olin Foundation, Inc.
* Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
* Philip M. McKenna Foundation, Inc.
* Scaife Foundations
* DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund
* El Paso Energy Foundation
* ExxonMobil Foundation
* Eli Lilly and Company Foundation
* Lilly Endowment Inc.
* Procter & Gamble Fund
Koch Industries is one nation's largest privately held energy company. Their donations fund other great 'think tanks' like the CATO Institute. The Scaife Foundation got it's money from the Mellon energy empire.
NCPA also funds
Junk Science A lovely site that tells us such things as global warming isn't happening, if it is it can't be caused by humans, and it's good for the plants. All courtesy of publisher Steve Milloy.
Type 'Steve Milloy' into Google and stand back. If you ever need to disarm some of the trolls here just look for studies this guy has quoted (or misquoted).
At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy nut (I'm not) I think that big energy has been spending a lot of cash in keeping public attention away from the peak oil issue.
Follow the money.
Civilization is a personal choice.