ABSTRACT
The current way of providing the world’s energy demand, based primarily on fossil fuel, is becoming increasingly untenable. Fossil fuel reserves, once hardly ever given a second thought, now are clearly exhaustible. Fossil fuel prices have never been more volatile, inuenced rst by economic acceleration mostly in China and India and subsequently by economic recession. The difculty of controlling prices and the uncertain reserves are strong incentives for pursuing energy security. Global warming and local pollution hot spots associated with fossil fuel usage are further signicant environmental and societal problems.
