Increasing concerns about greenhouse gases, global warming, and acid rain will make oil and coal less acceptable for long-term use. International agreements are being worked out to deal legally with these environmental matters. Moreover, because oil and coal supplies are depleting resources, there needs to be emphasis over the long term on energy alternatives, even if the environmental issues are resolved.

While these questions are being raised about fossil fuels, new and renewable sources of energy are beginning to see some degree of maturity and, in many instances, now compete in economic terms with conventional sources.

If the trend is accelerated, probably as much as 25 percent of the world's electricity production could come from renewable sources by the year 2025. It is also noticeable that the increased use of renewables also tends to come in tandem with aggressive conservation measures. Certainly, renewables have an increasingly important role to play in the energy mix of nearly all countries, and oil-deficient Caribbean countries in particular.

Source:

Wright, Raymond M. "Energy and Sustainable Development"
Natural Resource Management for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean. Eds. Ivan
Goodbody and Elizabeth Thomas-Hope. Kingston: Canoe Press, 2002. p. 323

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