The poorest can be the richest

It is an irony that the poorest people in the world are in many cases the inheritors of the greatest potential for alternative energy production and hence for becoming the richest. Just as the discovery of oil transformed Saudi Arabia from one of the most desperately poor and backward countries into one of the richest and fastest developing countries, so exploitation of the sources of alternative energy in other backward parts of the world could potentially transform them as well.
For example, where does the sun shine the most, in deserts, where does the tide change the most, in large river deltas, where do rivers descend the most, in mountainous areas, where do winds blow the hardest, in vast open plains. All of these extreme areas constitute some of the poorest areas, because where the majority of affluent people live is in moderately watered, low level valleys, plains or ports where transportation is easy and large cities have developed.
In the future, as the world's population reduces its dependence on hydrocarbon based fuels (coal, oil), the use of solar power from deserts, tidal power from tidal estuaries, hydroelectric power from mountainous areas, and wind turbine power from windy plains, will gradually add up to a greater and increasing proportion of our energy production. For example, the estuary of the Ganges/Brahmaputra River in the Bay of Bengal causes flooding every year in Bangladesh; if this could be harnessed, a huge amount of electricity could be generated. This would not only save the local population from periodic floods but also greatly raise their standard of living. For example, the Sahara desert in north Africa is the home of a sparse, poor population, but having huge solar farms could transform this area to a major energy producer, providing energy not only for Africa but for Europe too. For example, at present there are waterfalls in South America and Africa that could produce enormous amounts of electricity just as have been produced in Niagara Falls for a hundred years. In Mongolia, one of the poorest countries in the world, there are vast plains that have some of the most constant winds in the world that could be harnessed for wind power generation from huge turbine farms. Not only would these projects raise the level of existence of the local populations, but by distributive networks could greatly ease the world's dependence on hydrocarbons, and particulary reduce and replace the world's need for oil. Also, cars could be powered by batteries using electricity generated by these alternative energy means to replace dependence on gasoline from the OPEC cartel and particularly from the Arab States.
As oil production reduces and the cost of oil products increases this transformation is inevitable. When oil is at ca. $65 per barrel, as it is now, the costs of these alternative energy sources becomes competitive. But, it also requires the local populations and countries to realize that they are living next to the world's future energy sources, and then for them to start of exploit their resources with investment capital from the developed world.