American power generation's future is (for the short term) natural gas and coal.
For the long-term -- say, fifty to three hundred years' hence -- it's going to be coal.
There's more of that in the ground than we could dig out in four hundred years.
Natural gas isn't going to last that long.
Nor is any other liquid or gaseous source of btu's, unless they figure out how to get the methane out of the ocean.
Quite impressive, such a glowing eulogy on the hydrocarbon industry.
After spending +40 years in the oil and gas industry across the world estimating reserves and working Exploration, Development and Unconventionals, I have been exposed to a lot of past and future potential in industry.
In my opinion, to date,we have seen prognostications of the end of industry just like you have made. I myself was told when I graduated as a petroleum engineer that we would have no more oil left of this earth after 10 years. Since that time, we not only have produced several times the amount of oil reserves existing at the time, but right now, have the highest amount of reserves ever, and producing at a much higher rate.
And gas? It is absolutely staggering the amount of potential that exists, so much that I see no reason for this country to ever in many, many generations to worry about running out.
Yes we have lots of coal. But we are just beginning to see the true extent of natural gas potential. It will be here, provided by God and the ingenuity given us for so long, there is absolutely no need to worry.