6.5A Mismatch Between Demand & Supply

• Reliance on Fossil Fuels:

  • The majority of countries still continue to rely on fossil fuels for most of their energy needs
  • In the twentieth century, oil took over from coal as the most used fossil fuel
  • Today, oil is now being challenged by gas as the number one fossil fuel

  
• Mismatch Between Supply and Demand

  • Coal:

  -> Whilst the consumption of coal is decreasing in comparison to oil and gas, production is increasing

  -> China and the USA remain the two largest consumers of coal and are also the largest producers of coal

  -> There is a small mismatch as the main producers of coal are usually the main consumers e.g., China and the USA
• Mismatch between supply and demand

  • Oil:

  -> There is a significant mismatch as the main suppliers of oil are members of OPEC and the consumers are in Europe
• Mismatch Between Supply and Demand

  • Gas:

  -> Gas supply is dominated by the USA and Russia and the major importers are Western European countries and Japan