The Future of Energy

How will the world produce more, cleaner energy? Climate communications expert Richard Black sets out a vision for the future which could benefit us all.

Within two generations humanity is set to leave behind the fossil fuels which built our modern industrial civilisation. The clean energy transition is already underway, and its completion inevitable. So what lies ahead in our future?

Black argues, these technologies are going to be key:

• wind
• solar
• pumped hydro
• batteries
• heat pumps
• green hydrogen

But transitions are not necessarily going to be smooth: fossil fuel corporations will go bankrupt and workers will lose jobs; the most powerful fossil fuel states have always pushed back and will continue to do so as their market contracts.

However, water cannot be pushed uphill for any length of time. Already clean energy costs have fallen so far that almost all electricity generation capacity being built around the world is renewable; soon, for example, electric models will account for almost all growth in the global car fleet. As more are built, costs come down and roll out accelerates.

Whether the transition happens fast enough to keep climate change within limits commonly regarded as ‘safe’ is another matter. But the future of energy is postive, with clean energy helping to preserve and enhance living standards, slow climate change, boost democratic values and reduce costs. A revolution is coming.