World energy consumption is expected to increase by 50 percent over the next 20 years, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Total world energy consumption will increase to 721.6 quadrillion British Thermal Units (Btu) by 2030 according to the EIA, up about 240 quadrillion Btu over today’s current consumption rate.

Fossil fuels, led by petroleum and coal, will continue to be the dominant sources of world energy, while renewable energy sources, including hydro, will meet only about eight percent of the world’s total energy demands. In all, renewable energy sources will provide about 59 quadrillion Btu of the world’s total energy needs in 2030.

Because of the continued heavy reliance on fossil fuels, carbon dioxide emissions are projected to increase 51 percent by 2030 to 42.3 billion metric tons from the 28.1 billion metric tons released today. This scenario could be altered substantially, according to the EIA, by international agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the emissions come from the coal-dominated electric power sector, which can thus offer some of the most cost-effective opportunities for reducing carbon dioxide emissions in many countries. There are several alternative no- or low-emission technologies that currently are commercially proven or under development, which could be used to replace some coal-fired generation, says the EIA.

Still, it would be more difficult for the end-use sectors to achieve such results. Transportation, for instance, would require extensive alterations in the current fuel combustion engine fleets, fueling stations and distribution systems at tremendous expense. This expense would be passed on to consumers who would be unable to afford the costs of the new technologies, such as fuel cells. Conversely, substitution of nuclear power and renewable sources to replace fossil fuels in the electric power sector would be relatively inexpensive. All we need is the critical mass of effort and global cooperation from corporations and private enterprise to governments and consumers to bring about the appropriate solutions.