World-wide energy consumption is projected to grow by 59 percent over the next two decades, according to "International Energy Outlook 2001" (IEO2001), released on March 28, 2001 by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), USA. One-half of the projected growth is expected to occur in the developing nations of Asia (including China, Pakistan, India, and South Korea) and in Central and South America, where strong economic growth spurs robust demand for energy over the forecast period.