The world’s demand for energy will grow by some sixty percent in the next twenty-five years. Satisfying that demand in an economical and environmentally acceptable manner is one of the most significant challenges facing society. New technologies will play a central role in meeting this challenge, albeit conditioned by the economic, social, and political contexts in which they are developed and deployed. The presentation will focus on the major forces shaping the world’s energy future and the technologies required to respond to them.