The most effective and probably least expensive short-term AND long-term way of dealing with the energy crisis is to cut down on demand.   That can be done in lots of ways, including reducing speed limits, building more energy efficient buildings and appliances and retrofitting older ones, encouraging and facilitating things like walking and bicycling and mass transporation, and discouraging overconsumption in many areas.   (E.g., why do so many Americans throw away stuff like plastic and paper containers and then go out and buy exactly what they just threw away?)

Yes, we do need transportation, heating, lighting etc., but do we Americans really need half as much as we use?