Sadly there isn't any other way to provide the huge amounts of energy modern cities with extremely big populations require.
I'm sure that if governments put all their economic efforts into research for cheaper, more effective and safer renewable energy (like solar), we would be able to support the larger cities. Plus, you'd make the population, at least on a state or local government level, very self-sufficient. Oh, wait!
That would mean that after a time, we wouldn't need government-run energy institutions! It's really for our safety, you know....