ABSTRACT

At the time of writing (fall of 2015), fossil-fuel–fired electric generation constitutes a significant portion of the worldwide generation portfolio—70% or more in most regions. Whether this is going to be the case, say, by the mid-century is debatable. Climate change concerns and related initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and rules and regulations aiming to address water scarcity and air pollution, all point to an increasing share of renewables and nuclear in a not-too-distant future. Projections from various organizations such as the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the World Energy Council can be readily found on the Internet. They are not quoted here simply because they will be out of date within a few years. Interested readers are encouraged to “google” to find and consult those sources and many others, which are typically revised annually. While it 283is very difficult to predict the future in energy resources and power generation (shale gas revolution * in the United States is a good example of how things can change dramatically within a mere decade or less), it is a good bet that fossil fuel power systems will continue to play a major role in the global economy far into the current century.