There has been a lot of ink spilled in recent years, debating the Hubbert’s Peak (“Peak Oil”) theory. FWIW, I am a believer in global oil depletion, but I think that those in the “Peak Oil” crowd are about 20 to 25 years too early in their predictions.
In my estimation we cannot depend on the slow-moving bureaucracies of national governments to rescue us from the coming energy crisis. Even if we were t overcome the problem in the First World, the second World and the Third World–with less money available for massive crash programs and probably with a more short term perspective–will likely be plunged into a second Dark Age. At the minimum that means famines, monumental migrations, huge economic dislocations, and world wars, all likely sometime later in this century. And even if our generation muddles through, we should make preparations on behalf of our children and grandchildren.
Every well-prepared family should have an alternative energy production capability. Buy this I do not mean just buying a backup power generator. I’m talking about the minimum of a six panel photovoltaic (PV) power system with a large capacity battery bank, charge controller, and a sine wave AC inverter. If you need advice on sizing and building a PV system, talk to Bob at Ready Made Resources. He offers free consulting. Take advantage of his consulting offer! Gravity fed spring water is ideal, but if you are on well water, you need to plan ahead to make your own power to operate your well pump.
Parenthetically, since lead acid batteries only have a useful life of about eight years, it is prudent to buy an extra set of dry deep cycle (“golf cart” or “marine”) batteries for your PV system. (Even if kept charged and not charge cycled, the plates will still gradually sulfate.) Ask your local auto parts store or golf cart dealership about special ordering a dry set of batteries (with no acid added), and separate “carboys” of acid, through their battery distributor. If they scratch their heads and give you dumb looks, then you might have to talk to a battery distributor (such as Interstate Batteries), directly.
If you are thinking likewise, then you should consider buying a retreat property with its own source of fuel: A natural gas well or a surface coal seam on the property would be fantastic (although of course quite rare), but at least buy land with a good stand of hardwood timber. To supplement your PV system, you might start shopping for a large yet easy to maintain steam engine with a power take off to run a generator and to handle other stationary engine tasks. (One wag recently built a steam power plant to run his iMac.) A third generator option is buying is a steep parcel of land with a fairly large creek running through it, for a Penstock-fed Pelton wheel micro-hydro generator. These are offered by several makers. What about wind power? Because of their high maintenance and the risks associated with tower climbing, I generally don’t recommend wind turbines. They just don’t make sense for most users, especially since PV panels have come down so far in price per watt in recent years. But if you live in a very windy area with lots of cloud cover, a wind generator might be a viable option.
Petroleum means more than just fuel. It is the petroleum industry that has brought huge population increases, with the advent of inexpensive fertilizers. An end to cheap and plentiful fertilizers will probably mean starvation, war, and perhaps a significant global die-off. Petroleum also means lubricants. Stock up on lubricants of all types. As I previously noted in SurvivalBlog, one of the most important to store is two cycle oil. (For mixing chain saw gasoline.) That will be like gold in the event of TEOTWAWKI — a barter item second only to common caliber ammunition.
Lastly, think in terms of transportation in an era when gasoline is very scarce and precious and when ethanol and and biodiesel are sporadically available but nearly as expensive as gas. Make every subsequent vehicle that you purchase either a diesel or an E85 “flex fuel” variant. (The latter are capable of running on 85% ethanol.) It takes a bit of extra looking to find them, but someday you will be glad that you did. (BTW, you can locate slightly used flex fuel vehicles via Edmunds.com. Enter “flex fuel” or “E85” as search variables.) Here at the Rawles Ranch, our primary “goin’ in to town” rig is an E85 fleet variant of the 2003 Ford Explorer 4WD. And when our little 32 MPG run-about finally dies, it will be replaced by a flex fuel compact of some sort. For maximum versatility, at least one vehicle at your retreat should be a diesel. Perhaps your next crew cab 4WD pickup, your next tractor, or your next “quad” ATV. (Yes, they do make diesel engine ATVs, but they are harder to find.)
Here is some real gloom ‘n doom for you to consider: To plan for an absolute worst case multi-generational whammy, you will need to buy some livestock including horses and/or donkeys. Remember that you will need to feed those critters, so buy a piece of land with both good pasture and hay fields. Build an over-sized hay barn. The day may soon come that grass hay and alfalfa will no longer be just a phone call away and be magically delivered on a truck and stacked for +/- $110 per ton. One nice thing about owning horses/donkeys/mules is that they can harvest their own feed. But that is only if you plan ahead and buy a hay mower and horse collars/tack and you train your horses to pull the mower. Planning for the next Dark Age gets rather complicated…