A Sustainable Energy Scenario for the United States: Year 2050

Sustainability

Bruce Tonn¹  Paul Frymier²  Jared Graves² 

[1] University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916, USA;

关键词: sustainable energy systems;    national energy portfolios;    scenario analysis;    futures methods;    obligations to future generations;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su2123650

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

This paper presents a scenario depicting life in the United States in the year 2050. The scenario is designed to achieve energy sustainability: fossil fuels and corn ethanol have been replaced by other sustainable and inexhaustible energy sources. The scenario describes the disappearance of the suburbs, replaced by a mix of high density urban centers and low density eco-communities. A suite of advanced technologies and significant social changes underpin the scenario. Analysis of the energy implications inherent in the scenario suggest that total US energy consumption would be around 100 quads in 2050, approximately the same as in the year 2010 despite a forecasted population increase of 130 million.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2010 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.