The electrification of energy: Long-term trends and opportunities

Tsao, Jeffrey Y.; Schubert, E. Fred; Fouquet, Roger; Lave, Matthew

doi:10.1557/mre.2018.6

The electrification of energy: Long-term trends and opportunities

Journal Article · Tue Jun 05 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · MRS Energy & Sustainability

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/mre.2018.6· OSTI ID:1478223

Tsao, Jeffrey Y. ^[1]; Schubert, E. Fred ^[2]; Fouquet, Roger ^[3]; Lave, Matthew ^[4]

Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States)
London School of Economics & Political Science, London (United Kingdom)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

Here, we present and analyze three powerful long-term historical trends in energy, particularly electrical energy, as well as the opportunities and challenges associated with these trends. The first trend is from a world containing a diversity of energy currencies to one whose predominant currency is electricity, driven by electricity’s transportability, exchangeability, and steadily decreasing cost. The second trend is from electricity generated from a diversity of sources to electricity generated predominantly by free-fuel sources, driven by their steadily decreasing cost and long-term abundance. These trends necessitate a just-emerging third trend: from a grid in which electricity is transported unidirectionally, traded at near-static prices, and consumed under direct human control; to a grid in which electricity is transported bidirectionally, traded at dynamic prices, and consumed under human-tailored artificial agential control. These trends point toward a future in which energy is not costly, scarce, or inefficiently deployed but instead is affordable, abundant, and efficiently deployed; with major economic, geo-political, and environmental benefits to humanity.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

OSTI ID:: 1478223

Report Number(s):: SAND--2017-12043J; 658495

Journal Information:: MRS Energy & Sustainability, Journal Name: MRS Energy & Sustainability Vol. 5; ISSN 2329-2229; ISSN applab

Publisher:: Materials Research Society - Cambridge University PressCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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