The View of the Army Corps of Engineers

Here’s what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has to say about peak oil and peak coal:

“World oil production is at or near its peak and current world demand exceeds the supply. ... Unless we dramatically change our consumption practices, the Earth’s finite resources of petroleum and natural gas will become depleted in this century. Coal supplies may last into the next century depending on technology and consumption trends as it starts to replace oil and natural gas.

“Our best options for meeting future energy requirements are energy efficiency and renewable sources. Energy efficiency is the least expensive, most readily available, and environmentally friendly way to stretch our current energy supplies. … Energy efficiency measures usually pay for themselves over the life cycle of the application, even when only face value costs are considered.”

Source: “Energy Trends and Implications for U.S. Army Installations,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, September 2005.