2009-10-21 - Cutting the emissions responsible for climate change requires much greater use of renewable energy, but these sources can only be exploited in a significant way if the power network becomes more efficient and flexible, CEO Joe Hogan said in a recent speech in New York.
By
ABB Communications
Renewable energy poses major challenges because the best sources are often in remote areas, and because some of them can only generate power intermittently, he told 500 business and civic leaders earlier this month at an event organized by IBM.
The challenge of distance can be met by building an efficient backbone of power transmission lines with available technology, such as high-voltage direct current and underground cables, Hogan said. Overcoming the second challenge will require the development of a distribution grid in which power consumption can be managed to accommodate drops in production – when the wind dies down, for example.
Smart grids "a necessity"
“Smart transmission and distribution grids are a necessity to support renewable energy, both smart and strong transmission, and the smart distribution grid,” Hogan said.
However, the incentive for consumers to manage their own power consumption is limited by the low cost of electricity, he added. A cost-effective way of storing electricity would be a breakthrough on the road toward a low-carbon power network, and Hogan therefore urged business and government leaders to support research and development in the field of power storage technology.
The importance of energy efficiency
He added that society must also pursue opportunities to use energy more efficiently because a smart grid alone will not meet the climate challenge. Forecasts by the International Energy Agency show that energy efficiency has a greater potential to curb carbon dioxide emissions than any other technology or solution over the next 20 years.
The event in New York on Oct. 1 and 2 was organized by IBM in collaboration with other organizations from the public, private and voluntary sectors, including The City University of New York and the Partnership for New York City, a network of business leaders.
Hogan’s 14-minute speech and the question-and-answer session that followed can be viewed on the IBM Web site set up for the event (scroll down to New York 2009 Agenda, and see Session III).