Whither energy: future shock or greening. [Lecture outlining factors for policy formulation]

The U.S. stands on the threshold of new energy policies that will determine the future course of energy supply and demand. Society must accommodate itself over the next 30 years to reduced supplies of oil and gas and to higher energy costs. Dr. Hoffman states that analysis of the energy system and its relationship to the economy and environment has led to several findings that give promise for the future. Given some lead time, he feels that our economy can accommodate to increased energy scarcity while delivering the goods and services that we desire for ourselves and for our descendants. Technology will play an extremely important role in our efforts to produce continued innovation, with perhaps more emphasis placed on the effective use of energy and resources in serving society--conservation. There are still several difficult problems to be overcome during this transition period with regard to the distribution of energy use among various income groups in the U.S. and among the developed, developing, and less-developed countries of the world. The management of this transition to new energy sources and a more-efficient economy will require close coordination of energy policy with other domestic policies and with foreign policy to ensure that social strains and international tensions resulting from energy supply and trade problems do not get out of control. The lecture addresses these policy relationships and includes some projections of our energy future on regional, national, and international levels.