Challenges of electricity-based decarbonisation

S. Lechtenböhmer
DOI:  10.12910/EAI2015-007

The energy system, and particularly electricity generation, is at the centre stage of decarbonisation of economies, and technologies are there to deliver on it. Analyses by IPCC as well as IEA show that low-carbon (renewable) electricity is becoming increasingly available and competitive thanks to significant technology developments. Due to these developments low-carbon electricity is expected to expand over traditional segments into the heating and transport sectors.

This means that the electricity system itself has to go through a massive transformation of assets, which requires significant institutional change. Furthermore, it demands high upfront investments into energy efficiency, low-carbon technologies such as RES, and others as well as into expansions of electricity grids and electricity storages. Instead, investment into fossil fuel extraction as well as conventional power plants can be significantly reduced.