Power From Space: Expected Role and Influence on Energy System Development L. S. BELYAEV, A. S. KOROTEEV, YU. N. RUDENKO* Summary: The prospective global energy situation including possible formation of the -world energy system is considered in the report. Conditions and problems of the use of large-scale energy flows from the space systems are discussed in this context. General views on global energy prospects The major conclusion of the World Conference on "Environment and Development" organized by the United Nations in Rio de Janeiro last year is that mankind cannot continue to develop in the traditional mode because of irrational use of natural resources and treatment of the environment. If the developing countries follow the path taken by the developed ones to achieve their prosperity, a global catastrophe is inevitable. The world society should change over to the sustainable development that would provide balances between the solution of social and economic problems and conservation of the environment as well as between the interests of existing and future generations. And this is a matter of all countries and nations. This is in particular true for the energy development that has influenced nature to the greatest extent. However, the measures and ways for a sustainable energy development are not clear enough as yet. Let us consider the energy demands first. Active energy conservation measures should obviously be undertaken and they will decrease the energy consumption especially in the developed countries. But if one takes into account that energy consumption per capita in the developing countries is tens of times lower than in the industrialized ones, then the high absolute growth of energy demands can be foreseen in the former countries particularly considering the population growth. Therefore, the growth of global (total) energy demands is most probable in the first part of the next century, but its exact figures are not known. By the year 2050, forecasts show that the global energy consumption would be 15-20 billion tons of coal equivalent (t.c.e.) (as compared to approximately 12 billion t.c.e. consumed at present). As concerns the energy resources, many studies carried out in various countries and international bodies after the energy crisis (see, for example, [1]) have shown that there are enough energy resources on our planet and the mankind will not face the energy hunger. However, they are very unevenly distributed throughout the world territory, the cost of energy does increase and certain rather serious constraints on the use of some forms of energy resources appeared in the last decade. * Siberian Energy Institute, 130 Lermontov st., Irkutsk 33 664033 Russia email: root@sei.irkutsk.su.relcom
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