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“Super-Smart” Grid may Provide Europe with Electricity from Completely Renewable Sources by 2050
Image Source: Stock.Xchng. By: Theoneill.
Do you live in Europe? If you do, I have a bit of good news for you. PricewaterhouseCoopers announced that all of Europe’s electricity needs may come completely from renewable energy sources by 2050.
According to the report, the goal is to create a “super-smart” grid. This grid will be powered by solar farms in North Africa, wind farms in Northern Europe (including the North Sea) and hydro-electric power from the Alps and Scandinavia. That kind of grid would make carbon-based electricity fuels obsolete and it doesn’t even need any nuclear energy to make it work.
Right now, approximately 50% of Europe’s energy comes from imported fuels. Following a “business-as-usual” path, that would rise to 70% in the years to come. However, according to the report, to make such a switch to renewable energy depends on more than energy security:
“Substantial and fairly rapid decarbonisation… will have to take place if the world is to have any chance of staying within the 2.0 degree Celsius (3.6 degree Fahrenheit) goal for limiting the effects of global warming.”
In order for the “super-smart” grid concept to become a reality, it will require a regional power system based on the grid and all forms of renewable power sources to be rapidly upgraded. There is also the need for the European power market to merge and integrate with that of North Africa, plus the allowance of free electricity trading through all countries involved. The report also states:
“Policies would also need to incorporate mechanisms to disincentivise construction of new fossil fuel power plants.”
Europe is currently well on it’s way to meeting their goal of supplying 20% of Europe with complete renewable energy power by 2020. Now, if we could only get certain other countries (or continents) to do the same…
By Heidi Marshall
Tags: Europe, PricewaterhouseCoopers, PWC, renewable energy, super-smart grid
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Some good points. The general concept of a so-called super smart grid may sound interesting on the surface, but the costs associated with huge additional power transmission and distribution networks is estimated by some to be excessive and the concept must ultimately adequately address valid concerns regarding the local power grid networks and the energy distribution efficiencies associated with them that are desirable to many.