Trends in Energy Consumption (College Board AP® Environmental Science): Study Guide

Distribution of energy consumption

• The use of energy resources is not evenly distributed between developed and developing countries

• As a country develops, its total energy consumption increases

• Most developed regions use more energy than developing ones

• US energy usage is nearly 20% of global energy consumption, despite having only 5% of the world's population

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

• Developing countries need more energy for subsistence tasks such as cultivating, cooking and heating homes

• Industrialized nations use more mechanized equipment and technology; therefore, transportation and industry need more energy

Consumption of fossil fuels

• Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas continue to supply the majority of the world's energy

  • Oil and gasoline are the main fuel for vehicles

  • Coal remains the main fuel for electricity generation

  • Natural gas is the secondary fuel for electricity generation and the main fuel for heating

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Global annual energy consumption measured in terawatt-hours

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

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

  • USA

  • Canada

  • Norway

  • Russia

  • Australia

  • Middle East

• Renewable energy (e.g. wind, solar and hydro) is growing but still provides a smaller portion of global energy

  • E.g. in 2022, 80% of the world's energy came from fossil fuels, with renewable energy making up 12.7%

Developing countries & fossil fuels

• Many people in developing countries rely on subsistence fuels such as biomass that can be easily obtained

  • However, fuelwood can drive deforestation

• As a country develops, they use more energy for:

  • Industrial processes

  • Transportation

  • Technology

• For example, India’s energy consumption is rapidly increasing as it develops its manufacturing sector and infrastructure

• People in developing countries have increased incomes and improved living standards

• This increases the demand for consumer goods and, therefore, energy

• This means that as developing countries become more developed, their reliance on fossil fuels for energy increases

Global demands for energy

• As the world becomes more industrialized, the demand for energy will increase

• As the global population increases, so does energy demand

  • More people need energy for electricity, transport, heating and cooling

  • Increased demand for products also leads to more industry to produce the goods, both factories and agriculture

  • These industries also require energy, further increasing the demand

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

  • Higher transport and car ownership, all of which requires energy in the form of gasoline, diesel or electricity

  • Increasing urbanization results in increases in domestic appliances, heating, and lighting

Factors affecting energy consumption

• Availability, price, and governmental regulations influence which energy sources people use and how they use them

• Physical factors 

  • Geology: affects whether energy sources (coal, oil and gas) are available

  • Climate: extreme heat or cold can impact machinery used and transported. It can also affect sunshine hours and wind for solar and wind energy production

  • Location: some oil and gas reserves are under the seabed, and reaching them can be challenging. Some areas of tectonic activity are suitable for geothermal energy

  • Water supply: areas with plentiful water supply and valleys are suitable for hydro-electric power

• Cost of exploitation

  • The economic viability of an energy source is whether the cost of exploiting the energy source is less than the money it will make

  • This can fluctuate depending on energy prices and demand

  • Some forms of energy are more expensive than others: coal is relatively cheap, whereas nuclear is expensive

  • The cost of renewables is decreasing as technologies develop

  • Wages are included in costs; this can make exploiting the reserve unprofitable

• Technology

  • New technological developments mean that additional reserves of energy can be exploited

  • Technology has helped to improve the efficiency and cost of renewable energy; there are also developments in energy storage

  • New energy sources are being developed, such as hydraulic fracturing or fracking to extract shale gas and hydrogen energy

• Political factors

  • Governments provide incentives for renewable energy sources, such as tax rebates or subsidies

  • The US government mandated certain energy source mixes, such as 25% renewables, by 2030

  • Increase taxes to discourage companies from building fossil fuel power stations