Global natural gas demand has boomed in the past 25 years and, unlike coal and oil, growth could continue through 2050, according to Washington, DC, nonprofit Resources for the Future (RFF).

RFF’s “Global Energy Outlook 2024: Peaks or Plateaus?” report compared 16 scenarios across eight outlooks published in 2023 by major energy agencies and companies. It also used two historical data sources. The organization found a broad range of scenarios for where the global energy system could be headed.

“The future of global natural gas demand is highly uncertain and, like the future of most fuels and energy technologies, is highly dependent on public policies,” the authors said. They stressed the “complex role” that natural gas plays in the global energy system.

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