The ideal source of energy of a civilization depends on the level of its technological and scientific achievements. However, in general, an ideal source of energy must fulfill the following conditions:

(1) The energy source should be renewable i.e. inexhaustible on human timescale.
(2) It must be clean/nonpolluting.
(3) It must be safe.

(4) Its supply must be reliable and predictable.
(5) The energy source should preferably be distributed widely across the globe, so as to avoid tensions similar to those related to oil.
In modern time, Natural gas is the ideal source of energy. It is widely distributed across the globe and is also much cleaner fuel than both coal and oil. Neither it has any safety related controversy like that in case of nuclear fuels, nor it is unreliable/uncertain like wind energy. Again, unlike hydroelectric energy projects, it does not require displacement of huge populations or flooding of thousands of acres of forestlands. It can be easily transported through pipelines. Also, the infrastructure for natural gas can be feed with a variety of alternative energy sources like the virtually endless deposits of methane hydrides or the green energy like biogas generated from municipality sewage. But never less, it like other fossil fuels, contributes to global warming.

However, in future, we will be successful in mastering the science and technology of controlled fusion of hydrogen. Fusion, as we all know, is the source of energy of sun. It essentially involves collision of the lighter nuclei (hydrogen nuclei) to form heavier nuclei (helium nuclei) and in the process; huge amount of energy gets liberated. The process requires extremely high temperature and pressure (currently unattainable in a controlled' reactor environment).Once, controlled nuclear fusion becomes possible, it will be the ideal source of energy. It has huge merits over other conventional fuel sources like:
(1) The fuel is hydrogen which is universally available in inexhaustible amounts.
(2) Clean technology i.e. doesn't produce any hazardous waste.
(3) Ideal energy source to satisfy the astronomical increase in energy demands, once human starts deep space exploration on commercial basis and setting up of colonies in space.
(4) As hydrogen is universally available, this energy source remains ideal irrespective of the place of application i.e. whether on earth or say at Saturn.

But as nuclear fusion requires extremely high temperature and pressure, so a fusion reactor is expected to be bulky and complicated. I personally expect that in not so near future, ordinary nuclear fusion will get replaced by a controversial technique called cold fusion' which enables nuclear fusion to be carried out at much lower temperature. If cold fusion becomes a reality then the nuclear fusion reactors will get miniaturized and will become cheap. In that case, every household will be able to have its own fusion' electricity generator, much like the diesel generators we have today, but without the associated pollution.

Still far far in future, as science and technology progresses, we will have newer more bizarre sources of energy like matter-antimatter combination e.t.c or perhaps something whose concept is even ridiculed today.

Learn more about this author, Gautam Sen.
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