SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS/AP)  -- Worldwide demand for energy will grow 50 percent over the next two decades, leading to even higher oil prices and increased reliance on coal for electricity, government experts predict.

The statistical analysis by the Energy Information Administration, an independent arm of the Department of Energy, projects the sharpest increases in growing economies such as India and China that will depend more and more on coal and nuclear power.

Demand for oil will grow much less than fossil fuels, but the report released Wednesday forecast oil prices as high as $186 a barrel, compared to just $133 today.

Dan Kaamen, a professor at UC Berkeley’s Energy Resources Group, said the grim forecast could be different if the current high oil prices spur governments to invest in more efficient, cleaner technology.

KCBS's George Harris reports

Highlights of the Energy Department Report

• Annual releases of carbon dioxide, linked to global warming, are expected to be 51 percent higher in 2030 than they were in 2005.
• The use of coal to produce electricity will increase 2 percent a year and remain the primary fuel for electric utilities, especially in China.
• The number of power plants is expected to grow by one-third with the addition of 124 reactors worldwide.

(jro)