Comprehensive Look at Energy Consumption EIA Key Findings:

U.S. Energy Information Administration
International Energy Outlook 2011 .pdf

Dr Fatih Birol, Chief Economist at the International Energy Agency, explains some of the key topics which feature in the 2011 World Energy Outlook, which will be launched on 9 November.

Dr. Henry Kissinger speaks about his role in the founding of the IEA and its future role. (interview conducted by Rebecca Gaghen, Head of the IEA Communications and Information Office)

Key Findings
Howard Gruenspecht
CSIS, September 19, 2011

•World energy consumption increases by 53% between 2008 and 2035 with half of the increase attributed to China and India

•Renewablesare the world’s fastest-growing energy source, at 2.8% per year; renewablesshare of world energy grows to roughly 15% in 2035

•Fossil fuels continue to supply almost 80% of world energy use in 2035

•Liquid fuels remain the largest energy source worldwide through 2035, but the oil share of total energy declines to 28% in 2035, as sustained high oil prices dampen demand and encourage fuel switching where possible and modest use of liquid biofuels

* Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
Current OECD member countries (as of September 1, 2010) are the United States, Canada, Mexico, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. Israel became a member on September 7, 2010, and Estonia became a member on December 9, 2010, but neither country’s membership is reflected in IEO2011.

Natural gas World natural gas consumption increases by 52 percent in the Reference case, from 111 trillion cubic feet in 2008 to 169 trillion cubic feet in 2035. Although the global recession resulted in an estimated decline of 2.0 trillion cubic feet in natural gas use in 2009, robust demand returned in 2010, and consumption exceeded the level recorded before the downturn. Natural gas continues to be the fuel of choice for many regions of the world in the electric power and industrial sectors, in part because its relatively low carbon intensity compared with oil and coal makes it an attractive option for nations interested in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the power sector, low capital costs and fuel efficiency also favor natural gas.

Coal: In the absence of national policies and/or binding international agreements that would limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, world coal consumption is projected to increase from 139 quadrillion Btu in 2008 to 209 quadrillion Btu in 2035, at an average annual rate of 1.5 percent. Regional growth rates are uneven, with little growth in coal consumption in OECD nations but robust growth in non-OECD nations, particularly among the Asian economies (Figure 5).

Electricity: World net electricity generation increases by 84 percent in the IEO2011 Reference case, from 19.1 trillion kilowatthours in 2008 to 25.5 trillion kilowatthours in 2020 and 35.2 trillion kilowatthours in 2035. Although the 2008-2009 global economic recession slowed the rate of growth in electricity use in 2008 and resulted in negligible change in electricity use in 2009, demand returned in 2010, led by strong recoveries in non-OECD economies. In general, in OECD countries, where electricity markets are well established and consumption patterns are mature, the growth of electricity demand is slower than in non-OECD countries, where a large amount of potential demand remains unmet. Total net electricity generation in non-OECD countries increases by an average of 3.3 percent per year in the Reference case, led by non-OECD Asia (including China and India), where annual increases average 4.0 percent from 2008 to 2035. In contrast, net generation among OECD nations grows by an average of 1.2 percent per year from 2008 to 2035.

World carbon dioxide emissions: World energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rise from 30.2 billion metric tons in 2008 to 35.2 billion metric tons in 2020 and 43.2 billion metric tons in 2035—an increase of 43 percent over the projection period. With strong economic growth and continued heavy reliance on fossil fuels expected for most non-OECD economies under current policies, much of the projected
increase in carbon dioxide emissions occurs among the developing non-OECD nations. In 2008, non-OECD emissions exceeded OECD emissions by 24 percent; in 2035, they are projected to exceed OECD emissions by more than 100 percent. Coal continues to account for the largest share of carbon dioxide emissions throughout the projection (Figure 10).

[Via: eia.gov and eia.gov Charts]