Global electricity generation will surge by 2.7%/year over 2023-2050, with fast rises in developing countries, and moderate rises in advanced economies.
In the 2019 IRENA report, Figure 8 suggests total final energy consumption will be 351 exajoules in 2050. Electricity will be 86% of that (
218 References 219 GLOSSARY Abbreviations and acronyms ACUNU: American Council for the United Nations University ALM: Africa, Latin America and Middle East ASIA: Asia, except Middle East Cap: per capita CO2: carbon dioxide CDM: Clean Development Mechanisms GHG: green-house gases GSG: Global Scenario Group IIASA: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change NOx: nitrogen oxides Ppm: parts per million Ppmv: parts per million volume PPP: purchasing power parities REF: Russia, Eastern Europe and Former Soviet republics R&D: Research and Development SD: Sustainable development SEI: Stockholm Environment Institute SOx: sulphur oxides SRES : Special Report on Emissions Scenarios TPES : total primary energy supply UKDTI : United Kingdom Department of Trade and Industry UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change WBCSD: World Business Council for Sustainable Development WGIII: Working Group 3 of the IPCC Units of measure Bbl : billion barrels of oil EJ: exa-Joule or 1018 Joules GtC: Giga (109) tonnes of carbon Gtoe: Giga (109) tonnes of oil equivalent J: Joule Mer: market exchange rates Mtoe: million tonnes of oil equivalent Tcm: trillion cubic meters Glossary OECD TOKYO CENTRE Tel: (+81-3) 3586 2016 Fax: (+81-3) 3584 7929 E-mail: center@oecdtokyo.org OECD WASHINGTON CENTER Tel: (+1-202) 785-6323 Toll-free number for orders: (+1-800) 456-6323 Fax: (+1-202) 785-0350 E-mail: washington.contact@oecd.org INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY O R D E R F O R M You can also send your order to your nearest OECD sales point or through the OECD online services: www.oecd.org/ bookshop OECD PARIS CENTRE Tel: (+33-01) 45 24 81 67 Fax: (+33-01) 49 10 42 76 E-mail: distribution@oecd.org OECD BONN CENTRE Tel: (+49-228) 959 12 15 Fax: (+49-228) 959 12 18 E-mail: bonn.contact@oecd.org OECD MEXICO CENTRE Tel: (+52-5) 280 12 09 Fax: (+52-5) 280 04 80 E-mail: mexico.contact@oecd.org IEA BOOKS Fax: +33 (0)1 40 57 65 59 E-mail: books@iea.org www.iea.org/books DELIVERY DETAILS Name Organisation Address Country Postcode Telephone E-mail PAYMENT DETAILS I enclose a cheque payable
216 International Energy Agency | Special Report LNG LPG MEPS NDCs NEA NGLs NGV NOC NOX N2O NZE OECD OPEC PHEV PLDV PM PM2.5 PPP PV R&D RD&D SAF SDG SO2 SR1.5 STEPS T&D TES TFC TFEC TPED UEC UN UNDP UNEP UNFCCC UK US VRE WEO WHO ZEV liquefied natural gas liquefied petroleum gas minimum energy performance standards Nationally Determined Contributions Nuclear Energy Agency (an agency within the OECD) natural gas liquids natural gas vehicle national oil company nitrogen oxides nitrous oxide Net‐Zero Emissions Scenario Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plug‐in hybrid electric vehicles passenger light‐duty vehicle particulate matter fine particulate matter purchasing power parity photovoltaics research and development research, development and demonstration sustainable aviation fuel Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations) sulphur dioxide IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre‐industrial levels Stated Policies Scenario transmission and distribution total energy supply total final consumption total final energy consumption total primary energy demand unit energy consumption United Nations United Nations Development Programme United Nations Environment Programme United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change United Kingdom United States variable renewable energy World Energy Outlook World Health Organization Zero‐emissions vehicle Annex D | References 217 Annex D References Chapter 1: Announced net zero pledges and the energy sector climatewatchdata (2021), https://www.climatewatchdata.org/ndc‐overview.
That’s important because global demand for energy continues to grow, and the world will need climate solutions from the oil and gas sector. As is the case globally, electric power demand will increase on the **domestic front** through 2050. Renewables are predicted to eventually shoulder a majority of the necessary power generation, but natural gas will remain a critical electric resource. The future of power demand and consumption in Colorado is complicated, especially as state legislators and regulators continue to make changes impacting energy production, power generation and transmission. To build that electric generation, it would require several years of right-of-way and jurisdictional negotiations before constructing new transmission and distribution lines, as well as constructing large, new power generation that would cost several billion dollars. Given the continuous, non-interruptible power needs, that power demand could not be met by intermittent renewable sources, and as a result likely means new coal or natural gas power generation facilities being constructed.
Appendix 3: Useful information Abbreviations ASEAN Association of South-East Asian Nations BANANA build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone bcm billion cubic metres BEV battery electric vehicle bpd barrels per day BRIC Brazil, Russia, India and China BRICS Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa B-S-P bijli, sadak and pani (electricity, road and water) CAGR compound annual growth rate CC(U)S carbon capture, utilisation and storage CCGT combined cycle gas turbine CCS carbon, capture and storage CDM Clean Development Mechanism CH4 Methane CHP combined heat and power CIF climate investment funds CIS Commonwealth of Independent States CNG compressed natural gas CO2 carbon dioxide COP Conference of Parties CPS cyber-physical systems World Energy Scenarios: Composing energy futures to 2050 World Energy Council 2013 265 CTL coal to liquid DAS Deutsche Anpassungs Strategie Defra Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs DS degrees Celsius, e.g. 6DS: 6°C Scenario E&P exploration and production EJ exajoule EOR enhanced oil recovery ESM energy system model ESO energy savings obligations ETL endogenous technology learning ETP 2010 Energy Technology Perspectives 2010 report (International Energy Agency) ETS Emissions Trading Scheme ETSAP Energy Technology Systems Analysis EU European Union with its 28 member states as of 1 July 2013 (EU-28) EU-ETS EU Emissions Trading Scheme EUR Europe EURELECTRIC The association of the electricity industry in Europe EV electric vehicle FDI foreign direct investment FICCA Finnish research programme on climate change FMCGs fast moving consumer goods FTA free trade area FY financial year GCC Golf Cooporation Council GDP gross domestic product GHG greenhouse gas GMM global multi-regional MARKAL model World Energy Scenarios: Composing energy futures to 2050 World Energy Council 2013 266 HFCs hydrofluorocarbons IBM International Business Machines Corporation ICE internal combustion engine ICEVs internal combustion engine vehicles ICT information and communication technology IEA International Energy Agency IGCC integrated gasification combined cycle IMF International Monetary Fund JI joint implementation LAC Latin America and The Caribbean Li-ion lithium-ion batteries LNG liquid natural gas
Report citation IRENA (2018), Global Energy Transformation: A roadmap to 2050, International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi. HOW TO FOSTER THE GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSFORMATION 72 The capability of a country or region to reap the GDP, employment and welfare benefits of the transition also depends to a large extent on the degree to which domestic supply chains can respond to new economic demand patterns stimulated by the transition. IEA and IRENA (2017), Perspectives for the energy transition: Investment needs for a low-carbon energy system, International Energy Agency (IEA) and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Abu Dhabi. IRENA (2017a), Accelerating the Energy Transition through Innovation, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Abu Dhabi. IRENA (2017b), Stranded Assets and Renewables: How the energy transition affects the value of energy reserves, buildings and capital stock, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Abu Dhabi. IRENA & CPI (2018), Global landscape of renewable energy finance 2018, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Climate Policy Institute (CPI), Abu Dhabi.
**The global pathway to net zero emissions by 2050 detailed in this report requires all governments to significantly strengthen and then successfully implement their energy and climate policies.** Commitments made to date fall far short of what is required by that pathway. **In this Summary for Policy Makers, we outline the essential conditions for the global energy sector to reach net zero CO****2** **emissions by 2050.** The pathway described in depth in this report achieves this objective with no offsets from outside the energy sector, and with low reliance on negative emissions technologies. **The path to net zero emissions is narrow: staying on it requires immediate and massive deployment of all available clean and efficient energy technologies.** In the net zero emissions pathway presented in this report, the world economy in 2030 is some 40% larger than today but uses 7% less energy. The transition to net zero brings substantial new opportunities for employment, with 14 million jobs created by 2030 in our pathway thanks to new activities and investment in clean energy.