"The world will suffer from the collapse of the fuel-based economy caused by the coming distributed-energy revolution"
Conversely, I'd wager that the world will ultimately profit greatly upon this re-distribution of power. Not only in the environment, with social & authoritarian implications, but economically as well, in no longer being hamstrung & slave to the dictates to the oil barrons...& all that goes with it. From my perspective, localized affordable micro-grids will give communities more control over their own destinys, boost localized economies, followed by an increase in entrepreneurial enterprise & trade, leading to a better quality of life for all those involved...or something closer to it. That's the way I see it anyway