The problem with removing the dependence of oil(foreign or domestic) is that:
- Oil based system is firmly entrenched in daily life
- Replacement of an entire way of life is going to be costly for the end user
- Renewable energy is not yet(!) portable enough for the demands of todays society
- N.I.M.B.Y.
Right now, unless every well in the world went dry, it's not economically feasable(or even possible) to replace the current system. Even if they did, and society was forced by necessity to replace it, it would take years to do.
Imagine what would happen... Middle Eastern nations would no longer have a viable product for their customers, and if they refuse to adapt to the "new economy", they would do what they had to for their way of life to survive.... start a war.
Renewable energy is problematic in another way: NIMBY. Not In My Back Yard. It's quite possible to put windmill farms all over the place, but most people would consider them an "eyesore", tainting wherever they are placed. Even offshore. Nuclear plants do contain a danger, even though minimal with todays technology. I doubt another "Chernobyl" would happen, even though the "lowest bidder" would be doing the construction.
Technology IS marching towards miniaturization... and this includes batteries. What is needed is a battery that can not only hold a long-term charge(days vs hours), but produce enough energy that it can move a car at moderately high speeds, or a truck/bus/etc at all.