The pathway to 100% renewable must include changes in regulation, focus on operations, and promotion of innovation
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PERSPECTIVE The pathway to 100% renewable must include changes in regulation, focus on operations, and promotion of innovation
Rao Konidena, CEO, Rakon Energy LLC, Saint Paul, MN, USA Vivek Bhandari, Principal Architect, Siemens Ltd., Melbourne, Australia Address all correspondence to Rao Konidena at [email protected] (Received 25 March 2020; accepted 12 May 2020)
ABSTRACT The electric industry is transitioning to higher penetrations of renewables. Hundred per cent renewable penetration is no longer a pipe dream. Rather than by doubling down on existing renewable technologies, we can achieve it by cohesively focusing on the ‘needs’ and working on regulation (regulation should focus on holistic grid needs), operations (e.g., markets and balancing authority products), and innovation (e.g., newer technologies like hydrogen). Keywords: energy storage; government policy and funding; hydrothermal; photovoltaic; nuclear materials
Background and current status According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), ∼23.8% of the global share of electrical energy comes from renewables. For achieving a better carbon-neutral future, a common goal, we need to increase this percentage share. Several countries around the world have legislated Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets (MRET) for gradually increasing this percentage share. Over 60 countries around the globe have such mandates. Primarily due to mandates, the world’s share of energy from the renewables has significantly increased in the past decades. So, what is an achievable target? Are we satisfied with less than 50%? 75%? or 100%? In this paper, we firmly believe that 100% renewable is achievable during our lifetimes, but we must plan it carefully. Let us take an example of Australia and the United States. They are one of the largest nations and have similar renewable consumption per capita with decent (not overly aggressive) renewable targets. Australia is set to achieving 50% renewables
DISCUSSION POINTS • What does the grid need in the next 10 years to accommodate 100% renewables? • What market compensation mechanisms are needed to incentivize grid needs in 10 years? • In 10 years, what happens to technology choices that are infeasible and not cost-effective now?
by 20251 primarily from solar, wind, and hydro. The United States is also on a similar path (most states have met their statelevel renewable targets and are exploring further). How about for beyond 50%? Should they double-dip on the first, second, and third-generation technologies (specifically in countries like the United States or Australia that have other options)? Or should they encourage fourth-generation technologies like nuclear fusion and green-hydrogen? (Fig. 1).
Australia In Australia, push for the renewables can be attributed to the MRET that was introduced in 2001. This scheme aimed at guaranteeing 9500 GWh of new renewable generation by 2020. This policy was later revised after nearly a decade to a target of 33,000 GWh of renewable electricity from large-scale power plants with additional suppor
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