There is also a viable theory that the earth continually creates oil and gas as a matter of course.I doubt it is a finite supply.
But even if we only had 47 years of oil, fusion is likely to come into play over that time.Much easier to do in orbit and beam down the energy.
The gas giant planets are gigantic clouds of hydrocarbons. Evidence that dinosaurs roamed their(nonexistent) surfaces long ago? At colder than -100 degrees C?
The current theory is that oil is magma and ooze, that the world just keeps making, never run out, infinite supply. The entire fossil fuels thing is a myth.
And if fusion STILL isn’t practical, we can fall back on coal lithification and NG/CNG/LNG (natural gas) at moderate inconvenience and more expense for drivers, and a big healthy incentive to come up with the “next big thing” without tearing down the whole system.
It doesn’t matter if new oil and gas are being created, if we are using at a higher rate.
Yes, it can be done, and could have been started perhaps forty years ago. The microwave technology is known and close to being proven.
What stops beamed power is how to keep the beam on target reliably enough to avoid causing havoc when it strays.
Doing nuclear fusion in orbit and beaming down the energy? Sounds like something from the 60’s Superman comics.
Fusion is only 5 years away, and has been for the last 50 years.
CC