It says further that clean energy economics is now getting better and better. “It is very likely that they will overtake the coal industry in terms of jobs and energy supplied within the next decade”, Teske says. According to a statement, the report shows “for the first time” advanced scenario with 100 percent renewable energy supply. It foresees wind leaping from today’s level of 13 gigawatts (GW) of wind farms in operation – enough to power around 10 million homes – to a level of 77GW in 2030, with solar rising from just more than 5GW to 28GW.
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The report contains updates of previous Energy [R]evolution scenarios as well.
“If we want to move to a clean energy future… then governments can’t continue to slant the playing field towards fossil fuels”, said Dr Nikola Casule, climate campaigner for Greenpeace Australia Pacific. However, Aspen primarily receives the majority of its renewable energy from wind and hydroelectric.
Within 15 years, renewables’ share of electricity generation would triple from 21% today to 64% – covering almost two-thirds of global electricity demand, it added.
But “as prices rise for conventional fuels, these costs will become economically favorable across all world regions by 2030, and by 2050 the fuel cost savings will be 1.7 US cents/kWh”, said the report.
“There are no major economic or technical barriers to moving towards 100% renewable energy by 2050”.
“It’s the responsibility of the fossil fuel industry to prepare for these changes in the labour market and make provisions”.
“Every dollar invested in new fossil fuel projects is high risk capital which might end up as stranded investment”.
The report acknowledged the investment costs for the switch to 100% renewables would be huge – around US$1 trillion a year.
With their new report as a blueprint for what’s possible, said Naidoo, “the Paris climate agreement must deliver a long term vision for phasing out coal, oil, gas and nuclear energy by mid-century, reaching the goal of 100% renewables with energy access for all”.
On the eve of the Climate Week NYC kicking off on Tuesday, Greenpeace has called on nations to place more reliance on renewable energy.
In order to implement the drastic renewable hike, the demand for domestic heating would need to drop 60 percent, through a home insulation initiative and other measures, the report advises.
They said that lobbying shouldn’t be allowed to stand in the way of changing to renewable energy, the fairest & most effective way of delivering a clean & safe future for energy.
The report notes that the transition from fossil fuels to renewable electricity – either directly or via synthetic fuels – for the entire global transport sector “is one of the most hard parts of the Energy [R]evolution and requires a true technical revolution”.
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I would urge all those who say “it can’t be done” to read this report and recognise that it can be done, it must be done and it will be for the benefit of everyone if it is done.”
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The city obtains its wind energy from four wind farms in South Dakota and Nebraska, and also uses energy from Ruedi Reservoir, Maroon Creek, and Ridgway Reservoir, a hydropower facility located near Montrose.
