Global projections of energy and electricity
- Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA (USA)
A key aspect of the projected greenhouse effect on global climate is the future growth in global energy demand. This study considers three cases, a continuation of present trends, the effect of a substantial conservation by efficiency improvements, and the limiting case of zero per capita energy growth. The study projects energy demand to the year 2060. The electricity component is highlighted because of its relevance to future industrial growth. For purposes of global policy considerations, there are five elementary factors that determine energy use. These include the population, its standard of living as indicated by the economic output (GNP) per capita, and the three factors that determine energy intensity (the energy input per unit of economic output). These three are: First, the industrial technology chosen to create end products from raw materials; second, the design and management of the production and delivery system that incorporates the industrial technology; and third, the energy efficiency of the end products. In any national economy, there are many secondary interactions among these five factors, although it is customary to tabulate population, GNP/capita, and energy intensity independently. Electrification has become an economic imperative. Not often appreciated is the fact that with increasing electrification, the overall energy efficiency of the U.S. economy has been improving. Industrially-developed nations now use roughly one third of their primary energy for conversion to electricity (the United States in 36%). Competitive economic drive may increase this fraction early in the next century to almost one half of all primary energy for the most advanced nations. Thus, the global growth in electricity generation is a major factor in global energy and environmental projections.
- OSTI ID:
- 6557545
- Journal Information:
- Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association; (USA), Vol. 39:11; ISSN 1047-3289
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Outlook and Challenges for Chinese Coal
China's Coal: Demand, Constraints, and Externalities
Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ELECTRIC POWER
POWER GENERATION
ENERGY DEMAND
GLOBAL ASPECTS
CLIMATES
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
DEMAND
EFFICIENCY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
POWER
290300* - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety
292000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Supply
Demand & Forecasting
296000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Electric Power
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects