Sage-Grouse and Cumulative Impacts of Energy Development

World demand for energy increased by more than 50 percent in the last half-century, and a similar increase is projected between now and 2030 (National Petroleum Council 2007). Fossil fuels will remain the largest source of energy worldwide, with oil, natural gas, and coal accounting for more than 80 percent of world demand (chap. 1). Projected growth in U.S. energy demand is 0.5–1.3 percent annually (National Petroleum Council 2007), and development of domestic reserves will expand through the first half of the twenty-first century. Western states and provinces will continue to play a major role in providing additional domestic energy resources to the United States and Canada, which is expected to place unprecedented pressure on the conservation of wildlife populations throughout the West.