I am entirely optimistic that the carbon-based industries are dying a rapid death. Why? Moore's law, of course (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law). Gordon Moore discovered, in 1965, that the number of transistors on an integrated chip doubles every 18 months, this trend has continued for 40 years. 
Photovoltaic (PV) semiconductor devices are subject to the same exponential growth curves governing all technological progress. See Ray Kurzweil's excellent discussion of this in his book "The Singularity is Near" (http://www.kurzweilai.net/). In a nutshell, Kurzweil shows that all technology advancement is accelerating exponentially. I believe that we are rapidly approaching a point of technological advances that will reduce emissions, and radically boost efficiency of all electromotor devices.
Virtus Energy, a research firm in Austin, shows a plot of the cost of renewables (<img src="http://vera.com/images/re_poster_04.gif">). These costs have approached conventional fuel costs--and they will drop below them soon.
Additionally, in this global warming/peak fuel era, conventional fuels cost more to find, process, and deliver and pending legislation is pressing dirty fuel to clean up, adding to their cost. With a nearly-infinite supply of solar energy being processed by ever-more-efficient semiconductor technology, I'm betting my "suburban farm" in Texas on solar. 

Tony Cecala, Ph.D.
Ecopreneur,
SolarForYourHome.com