Originally Posted by blackmonsters

The oil companies can simply raise the price when consumption is lowered and make
the same profit. Plus if consumption is low enough that they can fill demand for
the next 50 years without expanding operations then that's more profit with no
more investment.

If it turned out that a new device meant current reserves would last 1000 years,
then why would anyone even try to produce a new kind of energy to compete
with them? Thus a cornered market for 1000 years.