Energy Vision 2013

The document analyzes energy transitions as generational shifts rather than abrupt changes, noting that while renewables are growing, coal has seen the largest absolute growth since 2000 due to emerging market demand. It identifies scale, infrastructure longevity, and energy density as primary barriers to a swift low-carbon transition. The report highlights the role of unconventional oil and gas, the potential of 'Big Data' and synthetic genomics, and the specific challenges of intermittency and grid integration for wind and solar power.

• Energy transitions are not sudden events but generational shifts that typically increase the diversity of the energy marketplace over considerable time.
• Despite the high visibility of renewables, coal has experienced the most significant growth in energy generation since 2000, expanding nearly ten times more than renewables, nearly three times more than oil, and nearly twice as much as natural gas.
• The transition to low-carbon energy is hindered by the immense scale of existing infrastructure and the long lifespan of energy assets, such as power plants, which are multi-billion dollar investments lasting decades.
• Renewable energy sources like wind and solar have significantly lower energy density than fossil fuels, which may necessitate a shift from centralized generation to more distributed power systems.
• The 'unconventional oil and gas revolution,' driven by hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, has increased proved reserves and extended the competitive viability of hydrocarbons.
• Intermittency in wind and solar power creates a 'true cost' for grid integration, requiring flexibility from other power sources to balance supply and demand.
• Natural gas is projected to grow significantly, potentially overtaking coal as the world's second most important fuel, with demand expected to rise by approximately 65% between 2010 and 2040.
• The adoption of electric vehicles is limited by battery energy density, which is roughly two orders of magnitude smaller than that of liquid fuels, making aviation and long-haul trucking currently unfeasible.
• Information technology and 'Big Data' are becoming critical resources for optimizing energy production, such as improving wind forecasting by up to 20%.
• Synthetic genomics and the ability to rewrite genetic code could potentially create a game-changing renewable carbon-based energy source using algae, CO2, and sunlight.

APA

World Economic Forum (2013). Energy Vision 2013. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_EnergyVision_Report_2013.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Energy Vision 2013. 2013. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_EnergyVision_Report_2013.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Energy Vision 2013 |date=January 2013 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_EnergyVision_Report_2013.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2013energy, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Energy Vision 2013}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_EnergyVision_Report_2013.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }