Comparison of Energy Transitions in the United States and Developing and Industrializing Economies

SummaryWe compare the energy transitions of the United States with several developing and industrializing economies. The analysis reveals three important differences between trends. First, the developing world experiences energy-related transitions at lower levels of income, with faster rates of change in conditions over time, and in a more simultaneous fashion than that of the United States. Second, over similar income ranges (i.e., segments of economic growth), current developing economies are using less energy per capita than the United States did historically. Finally, this more efficient economic growth translates into lower systemic environmental impact per capita than that of the United States.