As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, the global
energy landscape is dominated by conventional sources, primarily fossil fuels,
which include coal, oil, and natural gas. According to the International Energy
Agency (IEA), these accounted for about 84% of the world's total primary energy
supply in 2020. The rest was made up by nuclear power (about 4%) and renewables
(about 12%), including hydropower, wind, solar, and bioenergy.
Several factors contribute to the increase in future energy
demand:
- Population
Growth and Urbanization: As the global population continues to grow,
and more people move into cities, energy demand is expected to rise. This
is particularly true in emerging economies, where urbanization and
economic development are driving up energy use.
- Economic
Growth: Energy is crucial for economic activity. As economies grow,
they typically require more energy to fuel this growth.
- Industrialization:
Developing nations undergoing industrialization typically see a
significant increase in energy use.
- Increase
in living standards: As people's living standards improve worldwide,
the demand for energy services (like air conditioning, transportation, and
electronics) increases.
While these factors suggest that overall energy demand will
increase in the future, the mix of energy sources used to meet this demand is
expected to shift significantly.
Driven by concerns about climate change and air pollution,
many countries are making efforts to transition to cleaner, renewable sources
of energy. Advances in technology are making renewable energy sources like wind
and solar more cost-effective, and improvements in energy storage technologies
are helping to address the intermittent nature of these sources.
It's also expected that improvements in energy efficiency –
getting more output for the same amount of energy input – will play a major
role in meeting future energy needs without a proportional increase in energy
consumption.
It's important to note that these are trends as of my
training data until September 2021. For the most up-to-date information, I
would recommend looking at the latest reports and forecasts from organizations
like the International Energy Agency or the Energy Information Administration.