I don't think it's quite a red herring, but I find the way it's been accepted as conventional wisdom slightly strange. It works on the assumption that we can't and won't do anything different with power usage than we have been doing.

Perhaps we should add a fifth element to Jérôme's Creed: smart power usage - using and/or storing sporadic power when it's available, cutting back when it's not. Maybe we can recharge our cars and delivery vans when it's sunny, windy or when the tide's running.