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Two general themes of the paper are that at the present time the most important decisions of long-range significance are being made not by suppliers of energy and their regulators but, rather, by end-users of energy and that the decisions of end-users will reduce aggregate demands for energy substantially below levels that are currently being forecast and will reduce even further demands for marketed forms of energy. The paper focuses on some major elements of consensus within current energy debates and the implications of that consensus for development of large-scale supply facilities, decisions by end-users of energy, and prospects for future demands for energy. The discussion focuses on events and circumstances in California, but uses some relevant information from other places. The paper argues that the common emphasis on disputed projections of depletion of oil and gas and disputes over siting of energy facilities obscures fundamental choices and developments that are already under way. Consensus on prospects of rising costs, environmental problems, and vulnerability to uncertainties is shaping the energy transition in ways that will constrain expansion of large-scale centralized supply and shift the focus of attention to improvements in efficiency of use of energy and to development of self-help sources. It is concluded that aggregate energy demands may well peak in theearly 1990's and that demands for marketed energy may well decline slowly thereafter. (ERA citation 04:041087)