That growth in demand, led by developing economies, could be cut to less than 1% if new policies and existing technologies are implemented worldwide to increase the efficient use of such products as oil, natural gas and coal, according to the report released today by the New York-based management consulting company.


"Under all scenarios, you see future energy growth being stronger in the next 15 years than in the past despite some pretty significant attempts to increase efficiency,’’ said Diana Farrell, director of the McKinsey Global Institute, which spent a year studying energy demand worldwide among sectors including residential and industrial.

Governments around the world are looking for ways to secure energy supplies amid increased demand from countries such as China and India and dwindling output in the US and North Sea. Debate also has raged over whether the world is nearing peak oil-production capacity, after which supplies will start to slide. The McKinsey report seeks to gauge world demand and energy productivity, a measure of economic growth per unit of energy consumed. The report’s second part, expected early next year, will provide more detailed analysis of sectors and fuel mix.