The Future of Energy Is About Technology, Not Fossil Fuels
Long-term forecasts show demand for oil peaking and coal in decline, with solar on the rise
Dubai’s solar-powered Emirates National Oil Company gas station.
Photographer: Kamran Jebreili/AP PhotoSign up to receive the Green Daily newsletter in your inbox every weekday.
Oil forecasters have had the same long-term challenge for decades: figuring out how much of the world’s liquid hydrocarbons will be in demand years into the future, and where, and in what mix of products and uses. And for decades, the long-term view has been pretty much consistent: in aggregate, global demand increases as the economy and population grow. Near-term lines are jagged (current oil demand is more than ten million barrels per day lower than it was a year ago, thanks to Covid-19); long-term lines are smooth and moving up.