Through sharing utilities and some resources, community members can live well while using much less energy per person than the average American. Ganas, an urban community in Staten Island, New York utilizes both technology (water saving devices, efficient light bulbs, etc.) and encouragement to reduce energy usage. They do this through their in-house newsletter and community-wide meetings. Ganas also runs several retail stores dedicated to recycling used goods. http://www.ganas.org
Stephen Leeb, an expert on the intricate relationship between energy and financial markets, predicts another bout of double-digit inflation before the end of the decade because of spiraling energy costs. I found this information in 2004.