Will primary energy consumption in the US decrease by 2050?
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17
Ṁ1650
2051
55%
chance
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Ṁ1,000
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When calculating the "primary energy consumption" from renewable sources, many sources' figures often have a multiplier applied based on how much energy would have been required to generate the same amount of usable energy from fossil sources. (The "substitution method" of calculating primary energy consumption). Our World in Data does this a lot, for example. For the sake of easy math, let's say a gas electrical turbine is 50% efficient at converting energy in the gasoline into electrical energy. If a wind turbine generates x megawatt-hours of electricity per year, the primary energy consumption figure for that turbine would then be 2x megawatt-hours.

I'm curious whether this statistic calculates primary energy from renewables using the substitution method or not. It's a useful way of showing how much fossil fuel energy was displaced by renewables, but will make less and less sense as the amount of fossil fuel in the energy mix approaches 0. And if this primary energy statistic does use the substitution method it will understate primary energy use decreases. Until they eventually change the methodology, of course. Which, if the substitution method is being used, you should state in your market description how you will handle it if they change the methodology for calculating this statistic.

(I'm assuming that the 'by' in the title is superseded by the description clarifying only 2050 and 2022 matter)

predicts YES