Archive 2008

Moving from principles to action for energy supply that mitigates against climate change requires a long-term perspective. Energy infrastructure takes time to build up; new energy technologies take time to develop. Policy shifts often also need many years to take effect. In most world regions the transformation from fossil to renewable energies will require additional investment and higher supply costs over about twenty years

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archives 2008 archive regional scenarios 2008 oecd north america electricity generation

electricity generation

The development of the electricity supply sector is characterised by a dynamically growing renewable energy market and an increasing share of renewable electricity. This will compensate for the phasing out of nuclear energy and reduce the number of fossil fuel-fired power plants required for grid stabilisation. By 2050, 94% of the electricity produced in OECD North America will come from renewable energy sources. ‘New’ renewables – mainly wind, solar thermal energy and PV – will contribute over 85% of electricity generation. Figure 6.22 shows the comparative evolution of the different renewable technologies in OECD North America over time. Up to 2020, hydro-power and wind will remain the main contributors to
the growing market share. After 2020, the continuing growth of wind will be complemented by electricity from biomass, photovoltaics and solar thermal (CSP) energy.