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The term “energy mix” refers to the combination of the various primary energy sources used to meet energy needs in a given geographic region. It includes fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and coal), nuclear energy, non-renewable waste and the many sources of renewable energy (wood, biofuel, hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, heat from heat pumps, renewable waste and biogas). These primary energy sources are used, for example, for generating power, providing fuel for transportation and heating and cooling residential and industrial buildings.

For each region or country, the composition of the energy mix depends on:

• The availability of usable resources domestically or the possibility of importing them.
• The extent and type of energy needs to be met.
• Policy choices determined by historical, economic, social, demographic, environmental and geopolitical factors.

These differences can be appreciated by taking a look at the production and consumption figures for individual countries.

current situation

Overall primary energy consumption in the U.S. in 2015 relied most on petroleum(35 quadrillion British thermal units (3.7×10¹⁶ kJ)), natural gas (29×10¹⁵ BTU (3.1×10¹⁶ kJ)) and coal (16×10¹⁵ BTU (1.7×10¹⁶ kJ)). Renewables contributed 9×10¹⁵ BTU (9.5×10¹⁵ kJ) and nuclear power 8×10¹⁵ BTU (8.4×10¹⁵ kJ). In the same year, about 4 million GWh of electricity were generated in the U.S., 67% of which was generated from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and < 1% petroleum), 20% from nuclear power, 6% hydropower and 7% other renewables. The world energy consumption resemble much of it in U.S as in the table shown below.

world energy consumption in 2016 (ktoe)

coal	oil	natural gas	neuclear	hydro	geothermal, solar, etc	biofuels and waste	electricity	heat	total
1 035 501	3 893 250	1 440 262	0	0	43 628	1 050 877	1 793 937	283 185	9 555 323

While the rise of global energy consumption with the global population growth cannot immediately be counteracted, the sustainability of growth can partially be improved by changing the energy mix towards renewables. The main forces in this process are national and transnational energy policy and the energy industry together with their lobbyists.

world energy mix transition

There is little doubt that the world energy mix is transiting from fossil fuels like coals and oil to a cleaner and more sustainable energy source like wind, water and solar power. However, to progress in energy transition, the world requires a collaborative, systematic approach aimed at solving problems and capitalizing on opportunities.

transition readiness assessment

Among all countries, there are 43 of them that boast well-performing energy systems and high-transition readiness, which indicates their ability to address the energy transition based on current performance. Most of the countries considered best prepared for the energy transition are European, with the likes of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. These front runners are typically more advanced in terms of environmental sustainability, with comparatively big improvements in the carbon emissions category. In Norway, for example, carbon emissions are relatively low thanks to almost all electricity being generated from hydropower.

At the opposite end of the scale, 14 countries are facing potential challenges, largely around environmental sustainability. These countries, including Venezuela, and Iran, are defined as “emerging”, which indicates improvement opportunities in multiple transition readiness categories. Reports argue a reduction of fossil fuel subsidies, improved energy access and quality of supply could allow countries to start improving in security and access to energy transition and, to some extent, economic development and growth.

7 steps to energy transition

1. identify and engage influential energy-sector champions across stakeholder groups, including government, the private sector and civil society.
2. apply the fact-base framework for an effective energy transition to foster a common understanding of national energy transition imperatives and enablers.
3. establish and operational structure to drive ongoing collaboration among the stakeholders of the energy system.
4. define specific milestones and action plans to deliver impact on the ground, including a framework to measure progress against goals.
5. accelerate policy formulation and business decision-making by piloting inclusive public-private collaboration models and building business cases to ensure value creation for society.
6. monitor and evaluate improvements in the energy system to determine corrective actions.
7. adjust roadmaps and action plans as well as the operational structure as needed to seize new opportunities over time.

China and its significant influence on world energy mix situation

When China changes, everything changes. According to the figures, China has been either one of the most or one of the most increase in non-renewable energies like gas, oil and coal (the figures will be inserted later). China’s choices will play a huge role in determining global trends, and could spark a faster clean energy transition. The scale of China’s clean energy deployment, technology exports and outward investment makes it a key determinant of momentum behind the low-carbon transition: one-third of the world’s new wind power and solar PV is installed in China, and China also accounts for more than 40% of global investment in electric vehicles . China provides a quarter of the projected rise in global gas demand and its projected imports of 280 billion cubic meters in 2040 are second only to those of the European Union, making China a lynchpin of global gas trade. China overtakes the United States as the largest oil consumer around 2030, and its net imports reach 13 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2040. But stringent fuel-efficiency measures for cars and trucks, and a shift which sees one-in-four cars being electric by 2040, means that China is no longer the main driving force behind global oil use – demand growth is larger in India post-2025. China remains a towering presence in coal markets, but our projections suggest that coal use peaked in 2013 and is set to decline by almost 15% over the period to 2040.