By definition, this means a lot more electricity needs to be generated.
On top of the increase in population, as countries develop they will use more electricity per capita.
It's hard to find a graph showing this, so the below is my simple attempt to do this. (Many graphs I have seen assume that all fossil fuels will become illegal or peak oil will ruin us all, and present a doomsday scenario of the total energy available to mankind. In other words - complete and utter bollocks.)
Simply put, while the population growth is about 30% over the next 35 years, we will see electricity production increase 170% to 260% above today, from 21 TWh to 55 to 73 TWh.
This shows that developing countries need access to the cheapest power they can get.
Note: I work as a project and energy economist with companies and governments on geosequestration,wind, geothermal, hydro, wave, transmission networks, coal seam gas, coal,and more. The views expressed in this blog are solely my own and do not represent the views of any organisation that I do work for.
