The emergence of a 70% renewable energy grid by mid-century “is not mainly a technical or commercial discussion. It is mainly a political question,” a utility executive commented in response to an expert survey by advisory firm DNV GL.
Across the entire survey population, “eight in 10 of the 1,600 respondents from 71 countries (including project developers, generating plant operators, integrated utilities, distribution system operators, and government representatives) said achieving 70% renewable energy penetration in their markets of interest would be possible by 2050,” Greentech Media reports.
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Three in 10 respondents thought the transition could be complete by 2030.
“The new energy world is not centred on the system but on the consumer,” said Sven Utermöhlen, director of construction and engineering for investor-owned utility E.ON in Germany. “In the conventional energy world, the key aim is to deliver security of supply. To deliver simultaneously in both the new energy world and the conventional energy world in a single, integrated company will become increasingly difficult.”
Late last year, E.ON announced it would sell off its fossil and nuclear assets to “focus exclusively on renewable energy, energy efficiency, digitizing the distribution network, and enabling customer-sited energy sources like storage paired with solar.”
