Did you know that within a decade, the US should overtake Saudi Arabia and Russia to regain its title as the world’s top energy producer? A delightful article titled, “The Deluge” from Pacific Standard magazine details how America became the fossil fuel giant with Texas and California oil fields.

The article goes on to outline where we are headed with all the fracking gas and deepwater oil. It truly is a brave new energy world out there, folks. You need to be aware of the changes and work them into your plan.

I recall the heady days of the late 1970s when oil was all but guaranteed to be gone by the mid 1980s and alternative energy was the rage. I studied farm based ethanol production. It was clear to me then, and remains so now, that using a food crop feedstock, such as corn, was a terrible idea. The price would almost always be too high.

The promise of using agricultural waste products like corn stalks and cobs had great promise but was technically difficult due to the enzyme needed to break down the cellulose cell to starch. I recall writing in my senior thesis in 1980 that we were only a short time from this becoming viable. 33 years later, we are still supposedly only a short time from this becoming viable.

The construction opportunities that flow from this major shift in fossil fuel production are huge. Where could you fit in?