The path from petroleum shortages to electricity shortages

There is likely to be a very short path from petroleum shortages to electricity shortages. Many issues are involved, from the fact that the fuels used in electricity production are themselves dependent on petroleum for their extraction and transportation, to the current state of the US electricity infrastructure, to the impact of peak oil on debt financing.

The peak oil crisis: The Washington Post meets peak oil lite

The Post is to be congratulated for a tour d’horizone that touches most of the bases relevant to peak oil. They acknowledge the problem, use the words “peak oil,” discuss much of the evidence and cite the differences of opinion as to the imminence of a crippling problem. Reading between the lines, one can sense an editorial debate, for the obvious conclusion is one no reader wants to hear.