Great strides have been made over the past century in our ability to harness energy sources, leading to profound transformations — both good and bad — in society. Looking at the energy system of today, it is clear that meeting the energy needs of the world now and in the years to come requires the concerted efforts of many different actors across a range of technologies and approaches. In this Feature, ten leading experts in energy research share their vision of what challenges their respective fields need to address in the coming decades. The issues being faced are diverse and multifaceted, from the search for better materials for fuels, to the design of energy policy and markets for the developing world. However, a common theme emerges: changes to adapt and improve our energy system are greatly needed. By improving our mutual understanding of the issues faced by each area of energy research, these changes can happen more smoothly, efficiently and rapidly.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
Development of sustainable biomass residues for biofuels applications
Scientific Reports Open Access 30 August 2023
-
Acidic graphene organocatalyst for the superior transformation of wastes into high-added-value chemicals
Nature Communications Open Access 13 March 2023
-
Promoting ethylene production over a wide potential window on Cu crystallites induced and stabilized via current shock and charge delocalization
Nature Communications Open Access 24 November 2021
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles
$119.00 per year
only $9.92 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
The Future of Solar Energy: An Interdisciplinary MIT Study (MIT, 2015); http://go.nature.com/oGV7Wa
Hossain, J. et al. Wind Energy 2050: On the Shape of Near 100% Renewable Energy — A WWEA Technical Report on Grid Integration (World Wind Energy Association, 2015); http://go.nature.com/wpORGE
Slocum, A. Sustain. Energ. Technol. Assessments 11, 135–141 (2014).
The Future of Geothermal Energy: An Interdisciplinary MIT Study (MIT, 2006); http://go.nature.com/yFJRUE
Trancik, J. et al. Technology Improvement and Emissions Reductions as Mutually Reinforcing Efforts: Observations from the Global Development of Solar and Wind Energy (MIT Energy Initiative, 2015); http://go.nature.com/heN2we
McKinsey & Company Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the US Economy (McKinsey Global Energy and Materials, 2009).
Loftus, P. J., Cohen, A. M., Long, J. C. S. & Jenkins, J. D. WIRES Clim. Change 6, 93–112 (2015).
Allcott, H. & Greenstone, M. J. Econ. Perspect. 6, 3–28 (2012).
Davis, L., Fuchs, A. & Gertler, P. Am. Econ. J. Econ. Policy 6, 207–238 (2014).
Fowlie, M., Greenstone, M. & Wolfram, C. Do Energy Efficiency Investments Deliver? Evidence from the Weatherization Assistance Program E2e Project Working Paper WP-020 (2015); http://go.nature.com/JANaXp
Joskow, P. L. in Handbook of Law and Economics Vol. 2 (eds Polinsky, A. M. & Shavell, S. ) Ch. 16 (Elsevier, 2007).
International Energy Outlook 2013 (US Energy Information Administration, 2013).
BP Energy Outlook 2035 (BP, 2015); www.bp.com/energyoutlook
De Jong, K. P. Catal. Today 29, 171–178 (1996).
Meirer, F. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 137 102–105 (2015).
Zečević, J., Vanbutsele, G., de Jong, K. P. & Martens, J. A. Nature 528, 245–248 (2015).
Fabian, D. M. et al. Energ. Environ. Sci. 8, 2825–2850 (2015).
Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics Report, 2015 (Department of Energy and Climate Change, 2015).
Dietz, T., Gardner, G. T., Gilligan, J., Stern, P. C. & Vandenbergh, M. P. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 106, 18452–18456 (2009).
Michaels, H. & Donnelly, K. in Proc. ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency 11–11-173 (ACEEE, 2010); http://go.nature.com/5vUnqg
Assessment of Demand Response and Advanced Metering (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 2011); http://go.nature.com/FQUZxz
Ehrhardt-Martinez, K., Donnelly, K. & Laitner, J. A. Report E105 (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 2010).
Ehrhardt-Martinez, K., Donnelly, K. & Laitner, J. A. in Energy, Sustainability and the Environment: Technology, Incentives, Behavior (ed. Sioshansi, F. P. ) Ch. 10 (Elsevier, 2011).
Crabtree, G., Kocs, E. & Trahey, L. Mater. Res. Soc. Bull. 40, 1067–1076 (2015).
Schneider, M. & Froggatt, A. The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2015 (Mycle Schneider Consulting, 2015); http://go.nature.com/rrRBwu
Perrow, C. Bull. Atom. Sci. 67, 44–52 (November/December 2011).
Ramana, M. V. Bull. Atom. Sci. 69, 66–76 (March/April 2013).
Ramana, M. V. & Mian, Z. Energ. Res. Soc. Sci. 2, 115–124 (2014).
Statistical Review of World Energy 2015 (BP, 2015); http://go.nature.com/4WH6NZ
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Armstrong, R., Wolfram, C., de Jong, K. et al. The frontiers of energy. Nat Energy 1, 15020 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nenergy.2015.20
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nenergy.2015.20
This article is cited by
-
Acidic graphene organocatalyst for the superior transformation of wastes into high-added-value chemicals
Nature Communications (2023)
-
Development of sustainable biomass residues for biofuels applications
Scientific Reports (2023)
-
Synthesis of methyl biodiesel by esterification using magnetic nanoparticles coated with sulfonated lignin
Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery (2023)
-
Atomically dispersed Co−Cu alloy reconstructed from metal-organic framework to promote electrochemical CO2 methanation
Nano Research (2023)
-
GaN nanowires/Si photocathodes for CO2 reduction towards solar fuels and chemicals: advances, challenges, and prospects
Science China Chemistry (2023)