George Friedman, founder of the private intelligence firm Stratfor, has written a book titled The Next 100 Years. In the following video summary of the book at about the 1:50 mark, Friedman predicts that space-based solar power will be one of two dominate forces that will shape global warming. He also predicts that the United States will become the major source of energy for the entire world.
Citizens for Space Based Solar Power 
I don’t have your confidence in the US, China is graduating almost ten times as many engineers as the US and that’s where the change comes.
But I think you are dead on with space based solar power. The key to making it economical is lowering the cost of lifting millions of tons to GEO.
There have been two methods proposed this year, and both of them look like they will get the cost down to under $100/kg. Details here:
http://htyp.org/Dollar_a_gallon_gasoline
http://htyp.org/Penny_a_kWh
http://htyp.org/Hundred_dollars_a_kg
http://htyp.org/Miller%27s_method
Best wishes,
Keith Henson
hkhenson@rogers.com