35 percent The vast majority of this increased demand will come from developing nations including China and India, as well as other countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East, reflecting economic growth and rising prosperity. Energy demand will rise at a slightly faster rate than population as economies grow and prosperity expands for billions. Growing urbanization is also a factor in many countries, prompting development of infrastructure and industries — like manufacturing — that require a lot of energy and employ many people. 1 Next question Next question
1.3 billion Electricity is a fundamental need in supporting human progress. Without it, economies can't grow, literacy and numeracy rates suffer, health clinics can't function and communications can't get through. These may seem like basic items to most — but without electricity modern life just is not possible. In fact, 10 countries — four in developing Asia and six in sub-Saharan Africa — account for two-thirds of those without electricity. 2 Next question Next question
$1.6 trillion The scale and scope of future energy demand is enormous — in fact global demand is likely to be about 35 percent higher in 2040 than 2010. It's going to take significant technology breakthroughs, a highly skilled global workforce proficient in math and science, and unprecedented investment to meet the world's energy needs. 3 Next question Next question
China Experts predict that China's economy will grow by more than five percent annually over the next three decades, outpacing the United States, as rising living standards across a large population power further economic activity. China alone will account for more than 20 percent of the world's total economic growth. The United States will remain the world's largest economy as it continues to account for more than 20 percent of the world's economic output. 4 Next question Next question
Iceland Colder countries tend to use more energy to heat homes and buildings. Of course, Iceland, with a population of about 300,000, is not the world's largest energy user overall. China is the biggest user of energy overall, surpassing the United States in 2010. 5 Next question View results
Texas Although Texas is best known for oil production, the state has more than 12,000 megawatts of wind capacity, more than twice any state. Why? Parts of the Panhandle and West Texas are very windy, and there is significant land available to site wind turbines, making it an ideal location for this renewable energy source. While renewables are an important part of the energy mix in Texas, in fact natural gas provides about half of Texas' electricity and is well-suited to supplement intermittent energy like wind. 1 Next question Next question
China China is responsible for about 45 percent of the world's coal supply, while the U.S. produces 12 percent. Coal remains a critically important element in the global energy mix, and provided more than 25 percent of the world's energy in 2012. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the use of coal in power generation remains a significant challenge. Scientists around the world continue to study long-term technology options to manage emissions from coal-fired power. 2 Next question Next question
Natural gas New and efficient technologies are increasing the supply of natural gas and making it an economical fuel choice for electricity generation in the U.S. Natural gas is abundantly available in the U.S., and its reliability and affordability as a low-emissions energy source make it a preferred form of energy for power generation. In fact, it is expected that natural gas will be generating 40 percent or more of the electricity used in the United States in 2040, and about twice as much as the next largest source. 3 Next question Next question
United States Most of America's energy comes from right here at home thanks to abundant and diverse natural resources and advanced technologies that are unlocking once hard-to-produce oil and natural gas resources. In 2012 the U.S. produced 83 percent of its energy domestically. Today, oil, natural gas and coal account for the majority of our nation's energy production, followed by renewable and nuclear energy. Abundant resources across North America are likely to enable the region to become a net energy exporter in coming decades. 4 Next question Next question
Five times the level of 2010 Global demand for wind, solar and biofuels will likely be five to six times the level of 2010 by 2040, reflecting a very strong growth path for these energy sources. These types of energy are becoming more prominent today, and with continued strong growth are expected to reach about four percent of the world's energy supply in 2040. More significantly, wind and solar are likely to account for about 10 percent of electricity generated worldwide in 2040. As these intermittent power sources become more significant, additional investments in flexible “reliability” capacity will likely be needed to ensure electricity needs are met on demand. Scientists, engineers and analysts continue to study further advances that will be needed to reduce the economic cost and reliability impacts of developing these resources at greater scale. 5 Next question View results
Over 3,000 Because of gasoline's high energy density, your car doesn't have to carry as much fuel to travel hundreds of miles without refueling, compared to other energy sources. This makes gasoline ideal for transportation. Other fuel sources — like natural gas, coal or wind, for example — work well for use in power generation because these sources are used at a fixed location, and the electricity they generate can be effectively transmitted in large quantities from that location. To put the energy density of these sources into perspective, a pound of gasoline has almost twice the energy of a pound of coal. While natural gas has about 10% more energy per pound than gasoline, a pound of natural gas takes up much more space than a pound of gasoline. Natural gas can be compressed or liquefied to reduce its volume, but even then, it would take about 1.5 gallons of liquefied natural gas to yield the equivalent energy of a gallon of gasoline. 1 Next question Next question
68 percent In 2012 the United States generated about 4,054 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, of which about 68 percent was generated from fossil fuels. New natural gas-fired generating units use very efficient technologies and are relatively easy to build at a reasonable cost, flexible to operate and supported by abundant gas supplies. As a result, over the past five years, the share of electricity generated in the United States by natural gas has increased from 21 percent to 30 percent. 2 Next question Next question
96 percent Chemical products are found in almost all consumer goods from building materials to cars to medical equipment to clothing. According to Pulitzer Prize-winning energy historian Daniel Yergin, plastics and chemicals are "the bricks and mortar of contemporary civilization." 3 Next question Next question
Power generation The power generation sector accounted for 40 percent of the primary energy consumed in the United States in 2012. This energy is used to produce electricity used by consumers in homes, offices, hospitals, schools, retail stores, and many other business facilities and industrial applications including manufacturing. More than 70 percent of U.S. electricity demand is for residential and commercial needs, with nearly all the rest for industrial needs. U.S. demand for electricity is expected to continue to grow, though efficiencies within the power sector will keep primary energy needs for electricity generation relatively flat. 4 Next question Next question
Heating and air conditioning Controlling the temperature in your home can account for as much as half of your annual energy bill. Check for air leaks around walls, ceilings, windows and doors, and close fireplace dampers when not in use to improve insulation. 5 Next question View results
Less The U.S. is likely to use slightly less energy in total, and about 20 percent less energy per person by 2040 thanks in large part to the development of more energy-efficient industries, businesses, buildings and appliances, and transportation. Using energy more efficiently around the world will be critically important to meeting people's needs. By 2040, the world's population is expected to increase by nearly 2 billion people and world GDP will more than double, combining to help drive global energy demand about 35 percent higher even with significant efficiency gains. 1 Next question Next question
70 percent In 2040 the world's total energy use is expected to reach over 700 quadrillion British Thermal Units of energy (a BTU is a way of standardizing measurements of energy of all types) — an increase of about 35 percent compared to 2010. But without advances in energy efficiency, the world's total need for energy would be about 1200 quads to achieve an expected level of economic output in 2040 that is more than double today's level. So, a significant amount of the energy needed in 2040 will come from people and technologies that continue to capture energy savings through efficiency gains. 2 Next question Next question
About the same In 2012 energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. were the lowest since 1994. One of the important contributors to that result is the fact that the U.S. has in recent years been obtaining more of its electricity generation from natural gas, which has up to 60 percent lower CO2 emissions than the traditional major source of power. This reduction in emissions is a historic achievement — because the U.S. has about 50 million more people and has an economy that is about 50 percent larger than it was two decades ago. 3 Next question Next question
33 percent You can save gasoline by driving at a safe, consistent speed. That's because a more measured application of energy — whether it's from accelerating or braking — distributes your car's power more evenly, reducing friction that leads to less energy loss. 4 Next question Next question
$30 Manually set up the power-down feature on your computer to take advantage of these energy savings. This setting works better than a screensaver, which can use more energy than leaving the computer on. 5 Next question View results