Africa's Energy Demands Are Starting To Skyrocket

Africa's Energy Consumption Growing Fastest In World -- Christian Science Monitor

Africa's energy demands are skyrocketing, but with 64 recent major discoveries of fuel deposits, it is in a good position to meet its needs.

As the sun sets over Africa each day, instead of flicking a light switch or heating up the oven, most people put a match to a kerosene lantern or a burning ember to a charcoal stove.

Africa, home to 15 percent of the world’s population, consumes just 3 percent of the world's energy output, and 587 million people, including close to three-quarters of those living in Sub-Saharan Africa, still have no access to electricity via national grids.

But the situation is changing, and swiftly. At 4.1 percent growth, Africa’s per capita energy consumption is growing faster than anywhere else, driven by improved infrastructure, inward investment, and efforts to tackle corruption.

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My Comment: These energy trends are going to guarantee a few things .... (1) global oil and energy prices will remain high, (2) global warming advocates will be alarmed, and (3) tensions and conflicts will start to develop between different African countries over energy supplies (i.e. South Sudan - Sudan oil deposits, Ethiopia wanting to dam the Nile river, Nigeria delta oil reserves, etc.).

IEA: U.S. Will Become The World’s Top Oil Producer Within Five Years

Oil and gas boom puts US on track for energy independence. CNN

U.S. To Become World's Largest Oil Producer Before 2020, IEA Says -- L.A. Times

The U.S. will become the world’s top producer of oil within five years, a net exporter of the fuel around 2030 and nearly self-sufficient in energy by 2035, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency.

It’s a bold set of predictions for a nation that currently imports some 20% of its energy needs.

Recently, however, an “energy renaissance” in the U.S. has caused a boost in oil, shale gas and bio-energy production due to new technologies such as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Fuel efficiency has improved in the transportation sector. The clean energy industry has seen an influx of solar and wind efforts.

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More News On The IEA Report That The U.S. Will Become World's Largest Oil Producer Before 2020

U.S. to overtake Saudi as top oil producer - IEA -- Reuters
U.S. Oil Output to Overtake Saudi Arabia’s by 2020 -- Bloomberg
IEA Pegs U.S. as Top Oil Producer by 2020 -- Wall Street Journal
US to overtake Saudi Arabia as world’s largest oil producer by around 2020, IEA says -- Washington Post/AP
Energy Report: US Could by 2017 Be World’s Biggest Oil Producer -- Voice of America
U.S. to become biggest oil producer - IEA -- CNN
IEA sees North American energy leadership -- UPI
Natural Gas to Be Most-Used Fuel in U.S. by 2030, IEA Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek

My Comment: If this is true .... there is then hope for this.