The Future of Energy

Abstract

The demand for energy continues to grow in virtually every country in the world, a “natural” consequence of demographic changes, boosted by the almost universal increase in quality of life and by the development of emerging economies. The world’s energy consumption has more than doubled since 1973; it could even be tripled by the end of the century. Although the planet’s main fossil fuels—oil, natural gas, and coal—are being depleted, they still provide about 80% of the energy consumed. The pressing reality of climate change calls for a radical and urgent change in our relationship to energy. At the same time we must develop new solutions that are as safe and environmentally friendly as possible, based on sustainable and universally available sources. Fusion energy, which reproduces physical reactions occurring in the Sun and the stars, meets these requirements. Most of the world’s scientific community is convinced that scientific and technological mastery of this energy is within reach. However, will we need fusion energy at all? Several experts argue that an energy supply based solely on renewable sources is possible by 2050. Nevertheless, despite growing investments and encouraging evolutions many experts do not envisage green energies completely supplanting all “unsustainable” sources before the end of this century. They point to physical space constraints and natural fluctuations of solar and wind energies as factors limiting the contribution that clean energies will make to global energy production. In the future energy will probably be supplied through a diverse “mix” of energy sources. Will humanity need controlled fusion to secure its energy future? Maybe, maybe not. Some Nobel laureates, like the French physicist Georges Charpak , have strongly criticized ITER. But high-level government officials have very different ideas. “We would be crazy not to achieve ITER”, said Geneviève Fioraso, then French Minister of Research and National Education, when she inaugurated the headquarters of ITER in 2013. We will address these contradictory statements and apparently irreconcilable positions in the following chapters.