Energy demand and production

How has the global energy demand changed?

Energy demand

• Global energy demand has rapidly increased

Graph showing global energy demand

What are the causes of increased energy demand?

Causes of increased energy demand

• Population growth and development are the two main causes of the increase in energy demand:

  • The higher demand for food leads to more intensive farming which requires more energy for machines, light and heat

  • Increasing industry requires energy for heating, lighting and machinery

  • There is more transport all of which requires energy in the form of petrol, diesel or electricity

  • Urbanisation increases with development increasing domestic appliances, heating, lighting

  • Increased wealth means people buy more appliances and technology which require energy

  • Advances in technology in energy production and in appliances

    • New technology in energy production means more energy sources are available including nuclear energy, advances in renewable energy

    • Technology advances in wider society affect demand

What are the patterns in energy demand/use in developing and developed countries?

Patterns of energy demand

• Countries with the highest energy consumption per person tend to be developed countries including Canada, Norway and Saudi Arabia

• Countries with the lowest energy consumption per person are developing countries which are all in Africa and include Niger, Chad and Tanzania

Global energy use per person

What are the different types of energy and how much are they used?

• The main energy sources are fossil fuels which supply 84% of the world's primary energy

• Renewables are increasing but only make up 11% of the energy mix

• Nuclear energy is 4% of the primary energy

• It is estimated that 2.5 billion people still rely on fuelwood as their main source of energy

  • This is mainly in developing and emerging countries which lack the infrastructure to connect people to electricity supply

  • Energy poverty is when people do not have access to modern energy supplies

Global Energy Sources

What are the environmental concerns, considering energy demand?

Environmental concerns

• There are increasing concerns about the environmental impact of non-renewable energy sources and the link to pollution and global warming

• Public concerns about the environmental impact of using fossil fuels has increased pressure on governments

• Legislation about energy production has increased

How is energy production distributed?

Energy production

• Energy sources are not evenly distributed across the world

• Some areas produce very little energy due to a lack of natural resources or because they do not have the money to exploit the resources

• The main producers of fossil fuels for primary energy are:

  • USA

  • Canada

  • Norway

  • Russia

  • Australia

  • Middle East

• The world's largest producers are often the largest consumers of energy

What is energy security and what is it caused by?

Energy security

• An energy gap is when a country cannot meet the demand for energy using its own resources

• When countries have an energy gap, they have to import energy to meet the demand

• Having an energy gap means that a country is not energy secure

• To be energy secure a country needs an:

  • uninterrupted supply of energy

  • affordable supply

  • accessible supply

• The UK has a widening energy gap and is not energy secure because:

  • renewable energy is not as efficient and so cannot replace in full energy from fossil fuels

  • it is cheaper to import fossil fuels than it is to exploit the resources in the UK

• The commitment of many countries to tackling climate change and reducing the use of fossil fuels has increased energy insecurity for many countries

• Energy security can also be affected by:

  • energy sources running out

  • war/conflict

  • natural hazards

  • political disputes

  • cost

  • environmental concerns