The Supply of Fossil Fuels

The traditional fossil fuels - oil, natural gas and coal -continue to be the dominant sources of primary energy in the world economy. The IEA (2004) estimates that they contributed 79.8% of total primary energy supply (TPES) in 2002. This was slightly less than the 85.1% contributed in 1971, the falling share being due to the rise of nuclear energy in the 1970s and 1980s. Under the Reference Scenario, fossil fuels are expected to contribute 81.9% of TPES in 2030, the increase occurring because of a decline in the relative importance of nuclear energy.1