Energy Demand and Supply

Abstract

The use of energy defines the beginning of human civilization: when the prehistoric human mastered the use of fire for domestic comfort and cooking, human civilization began and evolved to reach the age of the locomotive, the nuclear power plant, the automobile, the airplane, the personal computer and the wireless internet. Throughout the centuries, the human society has evolved by increasingly using energy to the point where the consumption of energy is necessary for the functioning of the contemporary society, the prosperity of the nations and the survival of our civilization. Energy is produced and is being used in different forms: airplanes and automobiles use liquid hydrocarbon fuels; electric power plants convert primarily the energy in coal, natural gas, nuclear and hydroelectric into electricity; and a contemporary household uses electricity and natural gas for domestic comfort, entertainment and the preparation of meals. Because most functions of our society are based on the use of energy, elaborate networks of energy supply have been developed in the last three centuries: electricity is fed into communities by the transmission lines of the electric grid at high voltage; natural gas by a complex system of pipelines, which transcend national boundaries; and tanker ships crisscross the oceans daily to supply crude oil to refineries. The economic impact of the energy supply and the energy trade is of paramount importance to all nations. The geopolitical activities of most modern nations are significantly influenced by their need for a constant and secure energy supply. Most of modern wars (those after 1950) have been fought for the control and security of energy supplies and many treaties and international agreements have been cemented with energy resources as the primary issue. This is a general chapter on energy, not just alternative energy, which explains in a quantitative way what is the quantity we call “energy,” whence it comes and where it goes. The forms that energy is produced and consumed are, first, explained. The several units that are commonly used for different energy forms and quantities are listed and their equivalencies are explained. Secondly, the importance of energy in the economic activities of the contemporary society is described qualitatively and the primary energy resources are identified. The current energy trade between groups of nations is also described briefly and the main flow of primary energy resources is identified. Thirdly, historical data on energy production and consumption in several groups of nations are offered as well as some acceptable predictions for the future demand and supply of energy.