Future Energy Conference: Key Topics
I was at a conference about future energy technologies, which will be commercialised by 2100: a) Fusion: Nuclear fusion will have matured into a commercially viable, near-limitless source of clean baseload power. Commercial nuclear fusion could provide virtually limitless, clean baseline power by replicating the physical processes that power the sun. This breakthrough would effectively eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels and permanently stabilize the global energy grid. b) Batteries lasting years: Advanced, ultra-dense energy storage, potentially utilizing next-generation solid-state or quantum battery architectures, could allow personal electronics to run for years on a single charge. This leap will eliminate daily charging anxiety entirely and drastically reduce global battery waste. c) Multi-foldable phones: Thanks to hyper-flexible materials like graphene, communication devices will become as pliable as paper, allowing us to roll, wrap, or fold them into any shape. This will effectively blur the lines between smartphones, smartwatches, and smart clothing, making screens an ambient part of our wardrobe. d) Renewables everywhere: Massive leaps in grid-scale energy storage will eliminate the intermittency of solar and wind, allowing us to capture and store vast amounts of surplus energy. This will enable a fully decentralized, globally connected grid powered almost exclusively by renewable sources, regardless of weather conditions. e) High-endurance drones: Powered by those same next-generation batteries, autonomous drone fleets could stay airborne for weeks at a time over cities. These persistent aerial networks will handle everything from instant logistics and heavy human transport (air taxis) to continuous emergency response and environmental monitoring. f) Autonomous, Self-Charging EVs: Electric vehicles will become fully autonomous mobile power banks that wirelessly charge themselves while driving over smart, electrified roads. When parked, they will automatically sync with the local grid via advanced vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology to power homes and balance neighborhood energy loads.