Can We Go All Renewable?

Renewable energy comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Switching to renewable energy sources is critical for combating climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas for energy needs releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This is the primary cause of human-induced climate change. Thus, transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydro power and others that do not release greenhouse gases is important for reducing the impacts of climate change (The Importance of Renewable Energy in a Changing Climate, 2022). Renewable energy has the potential to meet the world’s energy needs in a sustainable way that supports a livable climate.

Current Status of Renewables

Globally, the share of renewables in electricity production was 29% in 2021, up from 27% in 2020 (Enerdata). This consisted primarily of hydropower (16%), wind (7%), and solar (4%). However, adoption varies significantly by region and country.

The countries with the highest renewable energy as a share of total energy use in 2021 included Iceland (87%), Norway (72%), and Sweden (51%) (Wisevoter). Meanwhile, the largest producers of renewable electricity were China, the United States, Brazil, and Canada (Wikipedia).

In the United States, renewables accounted for 22% of electricity generation in 2021. The main renewable sources were hydropower (28%), wind (26%), and solar (11%) (EIA). However, adoption varies significantly by state. For example, Vermont sources over 75% of its electricity from renewables, while West Virginia sources only 6% (EIA).

Benefits of Renewable Energy

Renewable energy sources like wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass provide tremendous environmental and public health benefits compared to fossil fuels. By generating electricity with zero emissions, renewables lead to cleaner air and reduced pollution-related illness. According to the EPA, renewable electricity production in the US prevents thousands of premature deaths and hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks each year. Shifting away from coal, oil and natural gas to zero-emission energy sources is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and averting the worst impacts of climate change.

In addition, renewable energy enhances national energy security by reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels. With inexhaustible sources like the sun, wind and water, renewable energy provides a sustainable long-term energy solution. The fuel is free once the infrastructure is built. While the initial capital costs can be higher than conventional power plants, most renewables have very low operating costs and no fuel expenses. This makes their cost per kilowatt hour competitive over the system’s lifetime and stabilizes energy prices since fuel costs don’t fluctuate.

Local renewable energy generation also strengthens communities by creating green jobs in manufacturing, installation and maintenance. Money spent on renewable infrastructure stays local rather than getting sent abroad to pay for imported coal, oil and gas. With their economic and environmental advantages, renewables pave the way for a clean, affordable and reliable energy future.

Challenges of Going 100% Renewable

Transitioning to 100% renewable energy faces several technological and infrastructure challenges. One major challenge is the intermittency of wind and solar power. Unlike fossil fuel plants that can provide constant “baseload” power, wind and solar output fluctuates based on weather conditions and time of day. This variability requires investing in energy storage and backup power to ensure reliability during periods of low renewable generation (NREL 2022).

Scaling up renewable energy also requires major investments in transmission infrastructure. Wind and solar farms are often located far from population centers, necessitating new high-voltage power lines to deliver the electricity. Upgrading and expanding transmission is essential but can be slowed by permitting issues and local opposition (DOE 2022).

In addition, the variable and distributed nature of renewables requires an overhaul of grid management and electricity market rules designed for traditional large power plants. New policies, technologies, and incentives are needed to balance supply and demand in real time across an increasingly complex grid.

How Other Countries are Transitioning

Many countries around the world are leading the way in transitioning to renewable energy. Germany, for example, has made major investments in wind and solar power. As of 2021, over 50% of Germany’s electricity comes from renewable sources like wind, solar, biomass and hydropower (Climate Council). The country aims to generate 80% of its electricity from renewables by 2050.

Denmark is another pioneer, getting almost 40% of its electricity from wind power alone. The Danish government has set a goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030. California has also emerged as a renewable energy leader in the U.S., with solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower providing more than 30% of in-state generation (Wikipedia). The state is pushing towards 50% renewable electricity by 2025 and 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2045.

Potential Solutions

Transitioning to 100% renewable energy will require overcoming some key technical challenges through innovations in infrastructure and technology. Here are some of the most promising potential solutions:

Grid Upgrades

Upgrading and expanding power grids will be crucial to handle the variability and distributed nature of renewable sources. This includes building new high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission lines to connect distributed energy hubs and smooth out supply and demand across regions. Smart grid technology, like advanced sensors and automated controls, can also help manage real-time power flows.

Demand Management

Smoothing out electricity demand to match renewable generation can avoid major supply and demand mismatches. This can be done through demand-response programs, smart appliances, battery storage, and encouraging usage during peak renewable generation through financial incentives.

Energy Storage

Energy storage, through batteries and other technologies like pumped hydro and compressed air, can store excess renewable electricity when supply exceeds demand. This stored energy can then be dispatched when required, providing stability to the grid. Advances in battery storage will facilitate higher renewable penetration.

Microgrids

Microgrids are self-contained local energy grids that can disconnect from the traditional grid and operate autonomously. Integrating renewable sources into microgrids with storage provides localized flexible energy solutions.

Smart Meters

Smart meters provide consumers and utilities real-time data on electricity use. This enables better demand management through dynamic pricing and incentives to shape energy consumption around renewable availability.

Role of Policy

Governments play a crucial role in accelerating the transition to renewable energy through implementing supportive policies and regulations. Some of the key policy mechanisms include:
subsidies, Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), carbon pricing, and removing fossil fuel subsidies.

Subsidies can help make renewable energy more cost-competitive with conventional sources in the early stages of deployment. Feed-in tariffs provide guaranteed pricing for renewable electricity fed into the grid, while tax credits reduce upfront capital costs. Targeted subsidies are needed to continue driving down costs through economies of scale.

RPS policies require energy suppliers to source a minimum percentage of their electricity from renewables. This creates guaranteed demand and encourages investment in renewable energy projects. Over 30 countries have implemented RPS policies with targets generally rising to 25-40% by 2030.

Carbon pricing through carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems make fossil fuel energy more expensive relative to low-carbon alternatives. Most climate models project meaningful carbon prices are needed globally to achieve net zero emissions. Only 22% of global emissions are covered by some form of carbon pricing currently.

Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, estimated at over $400 billion annually, can also help level the playing field for renewables both on price and public perception. Removing perverse incentives that encourage fossil fuel production and consumption will enable a faster transition.

Public Opinion

There is strong public support for expanding renewable energy in the United States according to polls. A Pew Research Center poll in 2016 found 89% of Americans favored more solar panel farms, with only 9% opposed. Wind power was also popular, with 83% in support of more wind turbine farms and only 14% opposed. Even groups more skeptical of climate change showed majority support for renewables, with over 75% of conservative Republicans in favor of more solar and wind power.

These polls indicate most Americans see the benefits of transitioning to renewable energy and are open to policies that would accelerate the transition. With such high public approval, expanding renewable energy has broad political support across parties and ideologies in the U.S.

Business Support

Many major companies have made commitments to transition to 100% renewable energy through initiatives like RE100. RE100 is a collaborative initiative bringing together influential businesses committed to using 100% renewable electricity. As of January 2023, over 380 companies had joined RE100, including big names like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Nike, Walmart, and IKEA.

The demand from these large corporations is drivingrenewable energy investment worldwide. For example, in 2018 Google became the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, making agreements to purchase over 3 gigawatts of renewable energy. Major companies view investing in renewables as good business – it allows them to reduce operating costs, achieve sustainability goals, and meet consumer demand for greener business practices.

The growth of corporate renewable energy purchasing is indicative of the business community’s support for a 100% renewable future. These voluntary actions by companies are helping to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.

Conclusion

While relying fully on renewable energy is an ambitious goal, it is becoming increasingly feasible in a growing number of countries as costs continue to decline and technological improvements advance. Citing multiple credible reports and forecasts, the International Energy Agency expects renewables to provide over 90% of new electricity generation globally over the next five years. They project renewables to overtake coal and become the largest source of electricity by 2025. However, timelines for achieving 100% renewable energy vary greatly by country and depend on political will, natural resources, existing infrastructure and economic considerations. Iceland, Paraguay and Costa Rica are on track for 100% renewable electricity generation within the next 5 years, while major economies like the US, China and EU aim for 80-100% clean electricity by 2030-2050. With supportive regulations, public sentiment and corporate commitments, several additional countries could potentially reach 100% renewables in the 2030s or 2040s. But fully decarbonizing energy systems, including heating, industry and transport, will likely take most countries until at least mid-century given current trajectories.