Renewable energy enables a local econonmy to at least partially adapt to rising commodity prices as the "fuel" for wind energy and solar energy is not free. The cost is technology, infrastructure, permitting and politics. As oil prices continue to rise energy importing countries (aka USA) need to begin the process to transition away from the importation of energy to the generation of energy from a renewable resource.

Many local economies are appreciating the duel benefit of job growth, improvement in the tax base as well as consistent (but predictablly intermittent) renewable energy power generation.

Many Americans have no investment in and do not benefit from higher energy prices. Most Americans lose financially when energy prices go up. Most Americans would benefit from local job growth, improvements in the tax base as well as power distribution. If enough people suffer from the high cost of imported oil then the political will will deliver alternatives and long term solutions. Locally grown switch grass converted to ethanol, locally manufactured wind turbines and solar panels will provide the technologically and engineering solutions to all the unrest and economic disturbences that the energy commodity markets have created.

Ironically the cost of creating a "total" renewable energy economy self-contained within the US economy with a distributed input and output (with self-directed functional management much like the internet) is on the order of the cost of the Iraqi war. Unlike the Iraqi war any cost overruns will be held within the confines of the US economy. One man's cost overrun is another man's profit. If US companies are charged with the development and deployment we will need to increase immigration and these imported engineers and their families will begin the process of buying up all those unsold houses - boosting the housing market. Create an economy based on growth, innovation and technology and we could see budget surpluses and a total turnaround in the current state of economic affairs. More people will want to come to the US, work here and contribute to social security and medicare enabling these entitlements to be fully funded.

Importing oil offers no long term solution to American economic independence. It creates job growth overseas, lowers the US tax base and contributes to global instability.

If only Edison were alive today!