Emerging economies continue to drive energy demand

(The Economist online) WORLDWIDE demand for primary energy will increase by 36% between 2008 and 2035, according to the International Energy Agency’s latest forecasts. Emerging economies will account for almost all of this of this increase (93%). China, which overtook America last year to become the world’s largest energy user, is projected to increase its demand by 75% over the same period. On the supply-side, the IEA expects that between 2009 and 2025 China will increase its installed capacity by the equivalent of America’s entire installed capacity in 2008. Fossil fuels will still be the dominant source of energy in 2035, though their share in the energy mix will fall in favour of renewable energy sources and nuclear power.