In the next 20 years, under the assumption that the economic growth will be at a
base case, i.e. the GDP (at 1988 constant value) will grow at an annual average rate of
4.2% and that the population will grow at an annual average rate of 0.3%, without any
significant change in the energy consumption structure, such as industrial restructuring,
and without any special energy conservation measures introduced (the business-as-usual
or BAU case), energy demand tends to continuously increase to 151,000 ktoe, or about
2.1 times the present amount, accounting for an annual average growth rate of 3.9%
(Figure 2.4), with the average energy elasticity at 0.93. Energy demand in the commercial
and industrial sectors will still increase at a higher rate than other sectors and higher than
the GDP growth rate (Figure 2.4). The forecast energy demand growth in each economic
sector is illustrated in Figure 2.5.