Perspective from the ACS Energy & Fuels Industry Committee toward the Transition to Sustainable Energy Sources

This perspective from members of the Energy & Fuels Division (ENFL) Industry Committee of the American Chemical Society (ACS) discusses the ENFL’s role and challenges to foster a sustainable and equitable energy future by promoting research and technological advancements in energy production, storage, and utilization. Using bibliometric techniques, the current trends are presented in non-renewable and renewable energies, energy storage and grid modernization, hydrogen technologies, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). Recent International Energy Agency (IEA) projections indicate that 2023 global investments in clean energy increased by 17% to $1.7 trillion. However, conventional non-renewable sources still account for over 80% of global energy consumption, a share projected to peak near 2030. Continued robust growth in clean energy investments and capacity expansions in 2024 has shown solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy driving a substantial rise in renewable capacity. Nevertheless, conventional non-renewable sources still dominate global energy consumption. While renewable liquids from biomass remain limited, renewables are projected to supply only a modest fraction of the total energy demand by the decade’s end. Despite these trends and the practical limitations of producing renewable liquids from biomass, renewables are projected to account for 20% of final energy consumption by 2030, up from 13% in 2023. The importance of sustained investment in clean energy technologies and the adoption of innovative materials for energy applications is reflected in the ACS symposia during the spring and fall national meetings, which showcase novel applications and developments in these fields. We conclude by discussing how the ENFL continued efforts to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and support groundbreaking research can drive the energy and fuels sector toward more sustainable processes, an imperative for accelerating the global energy transition.