Research professor at NYU’s School of Professional Studies and Director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab, Amy Myers Jaffe, spoke to Brad Plumer of The New York Times on the predicted demand in global energy. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has projected a peak in demand for oil, natural gas, and coal by the year 2030.
The current energy landscape and oil prices differ vastly from previous decades, such as in the 1970s. “People would have to suffer through price spikes,” said Amy Myers Jaffe. The reliance on fossil fuels has always been an evolving problem, but alternatives such as electric cars, solar panels, and the flexibility of remote work have tremendously decreased the demand and effect of high energy prices. Jaffe continues, “When prices are high, we can see a quicker drop-off in demand now than we did in the 1970s. It's a very different world.” Jaffe emphasizes the changing needs of humanity as we are adapting to lean off fossil fuels.