Asia Seen Leading 56 Percent Surge in Energy Demand by 2040

World energy consumption will rise 56% in the next three decades, driven by growth in developing countries such as China and India, the Energy Information Administration said.

Demand will increase to 820 quadrillion British thermal units in 2040 from 524 quadrillion in 2010, the EIA said in the International Energy Outlook 2013, with the two Asian countries accounting for half the gain. One quadrillion Btu is equal to 172 million barrels of crude oil. China's energy consumption will double the U.S. level by 2040.

"Rising prosperity in China and India is a major factor in the outlook for global energy demand," EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski said in a news release. "This will have a profound effect on the development of world energy markets."

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