Download the report here. Also see a news article about the report's reception and the task force's next tasks.

From the report's conclusion:

The Town of Westerly Peak Oil Task Force has concluded that "Peak Oil" is real, and the current level of oil consumption is unsustainable. The implications of global Peak Oil occurring within the next five years demand attention. It will impact all functions of the Town of Westerly and every aspect of the lives of its residents. The world is on the brink of an energy crisis that has drastic implications for everyone. As almost every aspect of modern life is sustained by cheap energy, the impacts of rising oil prices will be profound. The time to take action to prepare for rapid economic and social change in our community is now.

The severity and the rapidity of the impact of changes coming as the consequence of Peak Oil will be directly correlated with the leadership provided by Westerly’s Town government, and the actions taken by its residents to prepare to adapt to increasing costs and decreasing availability of fossil fuels and the products that depend upon them.

Looking forward, we can either plan an orderly energy descent strategy, or we can refuse to accept that the era of cheap energy drawing to a close and continue business as usual. Either way, the policies and choices we make now will have lasting consequences for future generations as well as for ourselves.

With willingness to accept the reality of peak oil and its implications, with good leadership, and with the timely and appropriate response of the people of Westerly, the Task Force concludes that the necessary changes will, in many respects, improve our quality of life and our environment, and the sense of community of our Town.