According to a new report from the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration, despite growth in biofuels and renewable energy, we will still use fossil fuels for the same 86 percent of our energy supply in 2030 as today if we follow the current energy policy.

Our domestic electric power will primarily come from coal, nuclear power and natural gas, all of which we'll consume in much higher amounts than today. Coal burning will increase by a whopping 45 percent, between 2005 and 2030, and by 2020 the U.S. will begin importing coal instead of being an exporter as we are today.

This emphasizes the need for clean coal burning technologies, carbon sequestration, or even better, cleaner electricity alternatives. This projection could change dramatically if future administrations decide to do something about sustainability.

"Recent EIA service reports have shown that steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of an economy-wide emissions tax or cap-and-trade system could have a significant impact on coal use."

Uh, yeah.

Natural gas consumption will increase by 18.8 percent during that 25 year time period, and nuclear power -- assuming that several new plants go online -- will rise by 14 percent. Wind and solar power don't merit their own categories in the DOE report, but are lumped into "other renewable energy," which while expected to grow by 200 percent by 2030, still constitutes less energy than hydropower or biomass.

The report also paints an unbelieveably sunny picture for oil prices, which are expected to remain fairly close in 2005 dollars with current price ($59 a barrel). I think some folks at DOE have been inhaling a few too many vapors to believe that oil prices will be the same considering rapidly increasing global demand and no more oil being put into the ground.

The DOE paints a sober picture of proliferating greenhouse gases and rising prices if we don't change course. The government needs to encourage the private sector through research dollars and revamped tax system to encourage renewable energy if we are to seriously address these challenges.