50% of Electricity Must Come From Renewables by 2050 to Avert Global Warming: IEA
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10. 1.08
photo: Alejandro Flores
If the collective human we is to get a handle on cutting CO2 emissions, we have to seriously increase investment in renewable energy, the International Energy Agency has said. In a new study titled “Deploying Renewables: Principles for Effective Policies” the IEA has said that if global carbon emissions are to be cut by 50% by 2050 (which is less than the 80-100% CO2 reduction which is probably required..) then about 50% of the global electric supply must be generated from renewable sources. Here are the some of the steps the IEA says are necessary for this to happen:
Five Key Renewable Energy Policy Principles
The IEA says the following principles are required to make renewable energy policy effective:
Removal of non-economic barriers, such as administrative hurdles, obstacles to grid access, poor electricity market design, lack of information and training and the tackling of social acceptance issues, with a view to overcome them—in order to improve market and policy functioning.
So basically educating and training people, legislatively putting renewables on equal footing with fossil fuels in terms of access to the grid, expanding the grid where required.
The need for a predictable and transparent support framework to attract investments.Pretty much the exact opposite of current US renewable energy policy...
The introduction of transitional incentives, decreasing over time, to foster and monitor technological innovation and move technologies quickly towards market competitiveness....but a lot like the effective EEG renewable energy feed-in tariff law in Germany.
The development and implementation of appropriate incentives guaranteeing a specific level of support to different technologies based on their degree of technology maturity, in order to exploit the significant potential of the large basket of renewable energy technologies over time.Again, long-term, predictably decreasing incentives, differing based on the exact method of energy generation...
The due consideration of the impact of large-scale penetration of renewable energy technologies on the overall energy system, especially in liberalized energy markets, with regard to overall cost efficiency and system reliability.Make sure the energy mix is diversified to counter the inherent variability in any renewable energy system.
What’s Needed to Make the Renewable Revolution Happen
In summarizing the steps need, IEA Executive Director Nubuo Tanaka said,
Governments need to take urgent action. We encourage them to develop carefully designed policy frameworks, customized to support technologies at differing stages of maturity, and eventually to apply appropriate incentives such as a carbon price for more mature renewables. Moving a strong portfolio of renewable energy technologies towards full market integration is one of the main elements needed to make the energy technology revolution happen.
In short, Mr Tanaka has simply reiterated that notion that there is no single renewable energy source appropriate for all times and places, and that a diversified approach is required. Go on him and the IEA, but in terms of CO2 reductions, we probably still need to do more than a 50% reduction and do it more quickly than in the next 40 years.
via :: IEA
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Excellent post! One of the real problems with democratic governments is the disconnect between promises made prior to an election and action taken afterwards. Both McCain and Obama are "talking the talk" but will they "walk the walk" once in power? The U.S. election will ultimately determine whether or not democracy is capable of rising to the occasion. We can't afford to ignore the climate change issues any more.
50% by 2050...
too little too late imho.
Technology-specific subsidies are an extremely effective way of preventing innovation and encouraging industrial reliance on government funding.
Subsidies are necessary to bring new techs concept to commercialization. And that is where they should stop. Subsidizing mature commercial products of any variety - coal, nuke, wind, or solar - is socialist and inefficient.
CO2 is a problem, coal plants themselves are neutral. Reducing CO2 production is a good thing, wind farms themselves are neutral.
If we want to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere, all we have to do is remove all subsidies of mature technologies and establish a carbon market that makes CO2 production expensive and CO2 removal from the atmosphere profitable. This must be done in as simple and transparent a way as possible and must be a worldwide effort.
Over time and as consumption rises, the cost of renewables will decrease and the cost of fossil fuels will increase. Renewables will become the economically favored option long before 50% market share is reached. So if we get the, the other 50% should be a breeze by comparison.
It is just a matter of getting the economics right soon enough. That means putting a price on GHG emissions from all sources.