Appropriate Technology
The object of distributed peer to peer software is to create an information cloud that is, by definition, freed from centralized control. Being open source frees it's users from copyright dilemmas, while providing a fertile ground for further development and scalability.
The open governance software would nonetheless be dependent on the stability of its network and constituent hardware. Fortunately, with the advent of solid state storage technologies, free of moving parts and increasingly easy to fabricate, deploying a peer to peer network, where each is node is both a client and a server, would mean lower costs, simpler setup and a longer lifespan for the hardware. The outgoing connection to the global Internet may be severed, but the internal network would still function normally. A peer to peer approach is the logical path if network resilience is desired.
An interplay of our sun's light and radiant heat together with wind's energy and solid biomass fuel can comfortably cover all our needs. If energy failures occur, they will be isolated, for there is no "grid" that can fail. Instead, there will be a mesh of cross-connected energy stations that deliver stability and energy storage in abundance. Information technology is essential for self-organization and it's energy supply must therefore be rock solid.