"Millions in Japan freeze without heat, electricity".
Fast forward that to 2018 and fill in Chicago or Green Bay; Boston or New York City; Philadelphia or Cleveland.
The simple fact is this: We here in the U.S. are seeing our future circumstances now, in Japan. The nuclear mirage is over.
The energy crisis is far more than being inconvenienced by slightly higher gasoline prices (Gasoline makes for a very poor heating fuel, btw. And when crude is cracked the primary output is 1 part diesel and 2 parts gasoline, with lesser amounts of other useful stuff). We cannot shift gasoline production over to heating fuel. That just ain't the way things work.
The U.S. will need to shift HARD to Nat Gas heating, and it really won't have as much time as we might think.
Moreover, you know that debate on the Web about whether City or Country living is best in an energy constrained world? I think we have our answer (although defining "city" is an issue). Mega cities will be uninhabitable. Period.