A disruptive time of profound change

At a time of rapid technological progress, with the stakes potentially as high as they could possibly be, it is no suprise that much of the talk about energy has become super-heated.

[…] It is important to take a reality check on this talk. Fossil fuels

For transport, no alternative source has yet been found to match the convenience and cost of oil. Hopes invested in biofuels have drained away as food prices have soared.

For power generation, similarly, none of the nuclear or renewable alternatives can yet match the combination of low investment cost and project risk with high reliability that is provided by coal- and gas-fired plants.

The International Energy Agency, the rich countries