Energy 2020

A nonprofit technology think tank called the Lifeboat Foundation has issued a energy futures report, "Energy 2020: A Vision of the Future." It's a scenario of the state of global energy 13 years from now, in which "world population has grown to 7.5 billion people, the global economy is approaching $80 trillion, and the wireless Internet 4.0 is now connecting almost half of humanity."

The scenario is optimistic, citing new technologies that will provide sustainable, clean energy from a variety of sources, including solar, wind, clean-burning coal, biodiesel, hydrogen fuel cells, giant satellites that beam solar energy back to Earth, and ethanol from plant waste and genetically engineered bacteria, with their share overtaking conventional fossil fuels and nuclear power. In 2020, technology also supports conservation, allowing more power to be derived from less fuel, and ensuring a steady supply through a global energy consortium.