Global electricity demand could increase by 30 percent to 75 percent by 2050, according to a U.S. energy agency.

By John Haughey | The Epoch Times

Summary

U.S. utilities generated 5 percent more electricity during the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, largely due to a hotter-than-normal start to summer and increasing power demands from the commercial sector. This trend highlights growing energy demands and the challenges associated with meeting those demands, particularly in tandem with increasing reliance on intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal.

Renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and hydro, now constitute nearly 95 percent of added capacity in the U.S. and generate more than 21 percent of the nation’s electricity, surpassing coal as a source. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects global electricity demand could increase by 30 percent to more than 75 percent by 2050, with as much as two-thirds of electricity coming from nuclear and renewables.

Despite the rapid growth of renewable energy, there are concerns about the reliability of these sources to meet a voracious energy appetite. These challenges include the need for advancements in battery storage and transmission technologies, as well as careful planning to balance the retirement of fossil fuel-powered plants with the integration of renewable energy sources.

FERC Commissioner Mark Christie has been vocal about the potential reliability issues facing the U.S. electric power system, particularly the hasty retirement of dispatchable resources like coal and gas. The core threat to the system’s reliability, he says, is not the addition of intermittent resources such as wind and solar, but rather the brisk subtraction of dispatchable resources. This subtraction is not being matched by an adequate increase in other dispatchable resources, which are essential for maintaining grid stability during periods when intermittent resources like solar are not available.

Christie’s concerns are centered around the potential for extended loss of electrical power during extreme weather conditions, which could lead to severe economic and even life-threatening consequences. He warns that the U.S. electrical grid is heading towards potentially catastrophic consequences in terms of reliability, particularly during extreme cold or heat events, which could lead to loss of life and severe economic impacts.

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