Page 10 - European Energy Innovation - summer 2018 publication
P. 10
10 Summer 2018 European Energy Innovation
RENEWABLES
Why we need more champions
for a renewables-based future
By Antonella Battaglini, CEO of the Renewables Grid Initiative
AND THE WINNER IS… path, there is still a long way to go.
If there was a prize for new records In this next phase, we will need new
in the renewables sector, 2018 would champions that have the courage to
have seen many winners already. branch out. I personally would like to
Let’s start with the category “costs”. see some more of the following kind:
Under the amazed eyes of citizens
and experts, prices for solar and • The most courageous activist:
offshore wind projects continue to fall Civil society plays a fundamental
around the globe. Moreover, project role in building bridges between
developers combine renewable politics and citizens as well as
generation with storage capabilities our societal needs and the need
more and more often, thus increasing for sustainability. Grids are often
their flexibility and role in balancing contested and many believe
the system. Secondly, it is worth to that a decentralised energy
take a look at the growing abilities generation can remove the need
grid operators are showing in for transmission power lines. While
managing the grid with higher shares we may discover new solutions for
of renewables. At the beginning of renewables integration sometime
January, Germany was running on in the future, today grids are
almost 100% renewables for hours for needed to sustain the growth of
the first time ever. In April, the British renewables. The next ten years are
grid ran without any power from coal critical if we want to limit climate
plants for three whole days. California change. This requires courage to
received half its energy demand from explain and defend choices for
solar energy in March this year, to necessary new grid infrastructure.
name a few. Who would have thought The most courageous activist
that this could be possible? would push for freedom and
flexibility - knowing that, if one
However, do these records actually day in 30-50 years from now we
help us in progressing with the have found out that there are new
energy transition? I think they do. options for grid integration, we can
Grid operators are on a fast learning always recycle the grid we have
journey. They demonstrate regularly built today.
that they can safely operate a
system with very high shares of • The most innovative regulator:
variable renewables. Since grid Regulators shape the framework
operators are tasked with maintaining in which transformation happens.
security of supply, their experience One of their tasks is to keep
with integrating renewables gives costs as low as possible for
confidence to policymakers across consumers; this is important to
the globe to aim for more ambitious maintain support for the energy
targets. transformation. However, to
manage ongoing changes and
NEW CHAMPIONS WANTED uncertainties, the energy sector
While, in general, the transformation needs the flexibility to experiment
of our power system is on a good and learn while doing. I hope
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
