Houston 1998

Conclusions

1. A third of the world's 5.9 billion people do not currently have access to commercial energy. Most of these people live in developing countries where 90 percent of today's burgeoning population growth is occurring. By 2020 there will be roughly another 2 billion people in the world, mostly in developing countries. The WEC believes that global energy consumption will grow by about 50 percent in the next 20 years. Even if the world were organized to use its natural and human resources optimally, this would pose a significant challenge.
2. Although current fossil fuel resources are sufficient to sustain global economic growth well into the next century and will be used in increasing amounts, severe environmental, economic and technological challenges may well follow unless pollution control measures are employed and steps are taken to tackle CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. Technologies that reduce net lifecycle carbon emissions and sequester carbon must be developed and deployed where economic. Renewable and nuclear energies should also have a role in the necessary decarbonization of the fuel mix. We believe both traditional and new renewable energy sources have an important place in future energy supply.
3. The liberalization process in the energy sector poses major challenges for countries with economies in transition and for developing countries. Governments in these countries need to foster transparency, legal certainty and rights of arbitration to underpin the transactional obligations that must be understood by all parties: customers, developers, utilities, stakeholders and regulators.
4. While fuel wood and coal will remain the principal energy supply resources for many developing countries, distributed generators - microturbines, diesels, fuel cells, and renewable technologies (specifically wind, biomass, geothermal and solar technologies) can be expected to provide a viable option for areas operating independent of powergrid and fuel pipeline systems. If cost-reduction progress can be sustained, renewables will help considerably in overcoming the problems of energy impoverishment in the developing world.
5. Increased efficiency in the use of energy offers the most immediate, largest and most cost-effective opportunity to reduce resource consumption and environmental degradation, particularly in transportation applications in developed countries. Reducing the energy intensities of economies remains an important goal.
6. Technological innovation is happening quickly and on a wide front to assure clean and efficient use of primary energy resources. Cleaner and more versatile energy forms will characterize future energy systems. Technological breakthroughs are often now achieved by entities outside the existing energy sector with enormous implications for the energy industry. Entering into dialogues with researchers in different disciplines is leading to unexpected synergies, as are collaborative R&D initiatives around the world.
7. As the energy industry is restructured globally, new businesses and alliances are emerging in the upstream production and generation activities as well as in energy distribution. These developments are improving efficiencies in locating and extracting energy resources from deep and remote parts of the globe. New distribution alliances are coupling energy with efficient technologies to provide services customers want, including transportation, lighting, air conditioning and refrigeration services. Information technology is making markets more efficient, resource production less speculative and costly, and the delivery and monitoring of energy use more effective, while enfranchising customers to make more intelligent choices.
8. Sustainability will depend not only on an adequate energy supply, but also on the stimulation, stewardship and stability that educated and informed populations provide in today's interdependent nations. Populations are no longer isolated by oceans and time zones. The world can view in real time what's making tomorrow's news. Travel, television, the telephone and now the Web serve to integrate interests, promote understanding and create market opportunities. By these means it is informed customers who are also driving the pace of change.