The Global Electricity Challenge
How can we meet increasing Electricity Demands?
Worldwide demand for electricity is rising fast. How will this additional electricity be produced?
Most electricity is generated by centralized natural gas, coal, nuclear and hydroelectric power stations, and worldwide demand for electricity is rising fast. During 1990 world electricity generation was under 12 000 TWh, whereas during 2004 it was over 15 000 TWh (International Energy Agency), and this trend continues today. How will this additional electricity be produced?
Efficient natural gas plants are a popular option, but there are questions concerning the reserves of natural gas available, and the price of natural gas in the future.
Large reserves of coal remain, but burning coal emits large amounts of carbon dioxide. Carbon trading schemes designed to reduce emissions are set to increase the cost of coal-produced electricity in Europe, but some countries with large coal reserves, such as China, are investing heavily in new coal-fired power stations.
Nuclear power is controversial in many parts of the world due to fears over plant safety and concerns surrounding the long-term storage of radioactive waste, while the nuclear industry insists that nuclear power is safe. Despite this controversy, some countries, including the UK, are showing renewed interest in this low-carbon source of electricity. The price of uranium - the primary fuel for nuclear power plants - is soaring, in part because of this increased attention on nuclear power. As a result, the price of nuclear produced electricity is likely to rise in the future.
There are few new sites suitable for large-scale hydroelectric installations in industrialised countries, and controversy concerning human rights issues often surrounds new large-scale projects in developing countries. Despite this, there remains great potential worldwide for small-scale hydroelectric schemes.
So we are faced with increasing demand, and rising prices, for electricity, coupled with the environmental problems of traditional power stations. Are we then to believe the current hype surrounding the fast-growing renewable energy industry, in particular the wind power industry? Are Wind Turbines an answer to the global Electricity Challenge?
Alternate Power Production Methods will certainly make an increasing contribution in the future thanks to their environmental advantages and free fuels such wind, rain and the flow of water, but they are unlikely to provide a complete solution without other measures.
Reducing our consumption of electricity is an essential step towards addressing the potential shortfall in electricity production. Electricity has been relatively cheap in industrialized countries in recent years, and as a result there is a great deal of scope for saving energy. For example, many low energy technologies, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs, and energy efficient white goods, offer all the convenience of older technologies while significantly lowering your electricity bills.
And as electricity bills rise we may learn to simply switch off the lights when we leave a room in order to save money.
