Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
the world's fastest growing form of high-grade energy. About 40% of our
primary energy (more than half of it from fossil fuel) is spent on generating
electricity in an inefficient process that captures only about half their energy
content as useful electrical energy. Satisfying electricity demand in next 20
yrs will use as much energy as from bringing on line a 1000 MW power
station every 3.5 days during that period (Lior, 2010).
Figure 1.4
Global energy use (open bars) and US energy use (filled bars)
by source.
Source: US 2011 data based on US Energy Information Administration. Web:
www.eia.gov
. World 2011 data based on International Energy Agency 2012
Report,
www.iea.org
.
The United States was the leading consumer of energy in the world (~95
quads in 2012) until recently. Since 2008, however, China has emerged in
that role with the United States in the second place. Naturally, the same
ranking also holds for national carbon emissions into the atmosphere. By
2035, China alone is expected to account for 31% of the world consumption
of energy (US EIA, 2010). Around 2020, India will replace China as the
maindriveroftheglobalenergydemand.Onapercapitabasis,however,the
