Global Electricity Demand to Double by 2060

The global demand for electricity is set to double by 2060 thus leading to a significant expansion of global capacities, a top Siemens official said. "At present, around one billion people have no access to electricity. This seriously inhibits their long-term prospects as far as education and development are concerned," Willi Meixner, the head of Siemens power and gas division, said on the sidelines of an energy conference in Istanbul, Trade Arabia reported. According to United Nations estimates, the global population is set to increase to some 9.5 billion by the middle of this century. "If we are to ensure a reliable supply of affordable electric energy for the world's population in years to come, then over the next 35 years we have to integrate three times the energy consumption of China into our energy world. This means that bringing resources, assets and people closely together in a digital world is an absolute must," said the official.