As long as we don't interfere too much...

Bret makes the case that we can adapt and adjust to changes in the supply/demand balance for energy and that price itself is one of the guide post to help us adjust. We are of course more interested in power, the rate at which we can do useful things, than in raw energy resources. An excellent book on the real crux of this matter is The Bottomless Well. You might spend some time reading the preface and looking at the table of contents which are available at the linked to site. There is also some information at this site along with a link to many reviews of the book. Lest you think I am only dealing in rosy thoughts about this matter, have a look at this article which concludes with a note of concern that we could make a mess of things. The author's concern is that we might be unable to deal with the politics of some partial solutions like more nuclear power. I'm also concerned that some people will be too eager to do too much on the policy front by trying to have the government select the approved "winners" and risk foreclosing better options. In case you didn't catch my drift, I highly recommend the book!