Fossil Fuels Dominate

The chart below shows how the world gets its energy.  This chart is for 2011, but it is typical of every year.

Fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) account for 87.1% of the total energy consumed.  Clearly, fossil fuels dominate, but there are good reasons for it.

Benefits of fossil fuels:

• They are plentiful.  The world still has diverse and abundant supplies of crude oil, natural gas, and coal.  While there are certainly fewer reserves than there used to be, we are not imminently in danger of running out.
• They are economical.  The biggest reason that alternative fuels haven't displaced fossil fuels is that fossil fuels are cheaper. 
• They are well established.  Entire industries and infrastructures are built around fossil fuels.  It's going to take a lot of time, effort, and initiative to break out of this box.

Yet, fossil fuels also have drawbacks:

• They will run out.  Unless something changes, society will eventually deplete the world of its fossil fuels. 
• They are concentrated in certain parts of the world.  Vast amounts of oil, gas, and coal are controlled by a handful of countries.  These countries that have abundant fossil fuel resources are typically wealthy, and the countries that don't have them are dependent upon those that do.
• They contribute to climate change.  Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, and there is ample evidence that over a century of doing this has affected global climate patterns.  Although no one knows when, eventually there will be a reckoning.

The World's Energy Demand Is Growing Unchecked

The graph below shows the world's total energy consumption since 1965.

During this 46-year period, the global energy demand more than tripled, and there is no reason to believe this demand will stop growing.  A few simple-sounding questions emerge:

• How much can the world's energy demand continue to grow?
• Where will the energy to meet this increasing demand come from?
• What happens when demand outgrows supply?

Introduction

This blog will discuss current topics and trends in meeting the world's energy needs for the next 100 years.  It will cover business, technical, and political issues, but it will emphasize things that are clean, sustainable, and practical alternatives to fossil fuels.

I am a strong proponent of both energy conservation and alternative energy, which may surprise some people because I work for one of the world's largest oil companies and have spent 20 years in the petroleum industry.  However, when you see firsthand how much effort is required to find, produce, transport, and refine hydrocarbons, it breaks your heart to see them being wasted.