mountain reflected in water

Peaking: The Series

The Peaking Series maps the vast mountain range of past and current peaks in fossil fuel demand. In country after country and sector after sector, fossil fuel demand has peaked and now faces a future of decline.

This story is unfolding globally, as new solutions coupled with efficiency force out demand for fossil fuels. Peaking demand creates a domino dynamic — as each sector and country peaks, the next peak moves forward, faster. And as this cycle of change takes hold, capital, talent, and power shift from the old fossil fuels to the new renewable industries, further accelerating the cycle of change.

The Peaking Series looks at examples of this pattern of peak, plateau, and decline for incumbents in energy history, how this pattern is playing out today, and how it will unfold in the future. Our analysis covers why peaks are important; what can be done to speed up them up; past fossil fuel peaks in the United States, Europe, and the industrial sector; and more.

 

Peaking: A Theory of Rapid Transition

How Patterns of Peak, Plateau, and Decline Point to Fossil Fuels’ Accelerating End

Learn More
Peaking: A Brief History of Select Energy Transitions

How Past Energy Transitions Foretell a Quicker Shift Away from Fossil Fuels Today

Learn More
Peaking: Peaks – Why They Matter

The Turning Point from Growth to Decline

Learn More
From Deep Crisis, Profound Change

An assessment of the dynamics accelerating the global sprint away from fossil fuels in the wake of Putin’s War

Learn More
The Green Inflation Myth

Reality Check

Learn More
The Energy Transition Narrative

Presentation

Learn More
The Energy Transition in Europe

A look beyond the current 2022 stress on Europe’s energy system to the long-term changes taking place.

Learn More
Harnessing the Power of S-Curves

How S-Curves Work and What We Can Do to Accelerate Them

Learn More
Peaking: Why Fossil Fuel Demand Peaked in 2019

Renewable growth and efficiency gains inevitably crush fossil fuel growth

Learn More
The Energy Transition and the Global South

Presentation

Learn More
Fossil Fuel Demand Has Peaked

Expert Commentary

Learn More
Peak Fossil Fuel Demand for Electricity

Report

Learn More
About the authors:

To connect with the authors directly about their research, please connect with them on LinkedIn or Twitter. For media inquiries or speaking opportunities, please contact Marissa Gantman at mgantman@rmi.org.