Institute For The Future

For most inhabitants of the developed world, energy (or lack thereof) has not been a problem during their lifetimes. Energy is a technology so successful it has become invisible; the most significant, and most silent, enabler of a modern way of life. But all that is changing. Over the next 10-15 years, our relationship to energy will enter a new phase, framed by the stark reality of carbon emission-driven climate change, and a rising energy demand around the globe. Whether we like it, or are ready for it, an emerging "energopolitics" will reshape everything from what we consume, how we live, why we work, and ultimately, the condition of our planet.

The Reinventing Energy Futures: Four Visions Map is an invitation to explore four corners of possibility for the future of energy. It is a tool to make connections across a broad array of action domains where control over our resources will play out. In the difficult to forecast field of energy futures, where data and projection models often clash and expertise runs deep and narrow, this map is a way to frame new actions.

Take a tour of the energy landscape-in-the-making. Engage with the forecasts in each of the six action domains—infrastructure, governance, quality of life, resources, environment, and economy. Grapple with the big questions at the heart of these domains. Imagine your day in one of the future scenarios. Then take your next step—it may be the first step toward building new strategies for shaping a future in which we all thrive.