World energy consumption is only going up and China and India may be leading the way.
According to an Energy Information Administration (EIA) report released on Monday, worldwide energy consumption will grow 53% from 2008 to 2035, with about half of that demand coming from rapidly-developing economies in China and India that were both barely touched by the recent worldwide recession. The global outlook, International Energy Outlook 2011, estimates that by 2035, China will be using 68% more energy than the US.
An agency of the American government, the EIA is intended to provide bipartisan statistics and analysis for the energy industry. Its annual report provides the information that the government will ultimately use to write policy and regulations.
The report found that renewables are the world’s fastest-growing electricity generation source, with an annual growth rate of 2.8%. By 2035, the report estimates that 15% of the world’s power will be derived from renewables.
80% will come from fossil fuels, mostly coal, with China accounting for nearly three-quarters of the global increase in coal generation. Total carbon emissions may rise as much as 43% by 2035, from 2008, the report says.
Natural gas is also growing rapidly at an annual rate of 1.6% according to the report, with the Middle East and parts of Asia leading production. The United States is estimated to grow from negligible amounts of natural gas production in 2008 to around 6 trillion cubic feet in 2035. The Middle East may reach over 15 trillion cubic feet in natural gas production by the same time, according to the report.
The amount of natural gas reserves that exist in the United States has been the topic of much debate with some saying estimations are overblown. Acting EIA Administrator Dr. Howard Gruenspecht, who oversaw the report, testified before a Congressional committee in July and defended the claim that American supply is abundant. Read more: Disputing Natural Gas Reserves In Congress.
Download the full EIA document here.
Photo Caption: (top) An aerial view of parked trucks at a terminal on the outskirts of Mumbai on July 2, 2008.
