Renewables Grid Initative
= New strategic interconnections are required to transmit renewable electricity from remote generation sites to consumption centres and storage sites. Grid extension is an essential precondition for substantive renewable energy integration from both decentralised and utility scale installations.
URL = http://www.renewables-grid.eu/
Discussion
"Why a Renewables-Grid-Initative?
The share of renewable energy in the European power system is expected to significantly increase in the coming years and decades. Based on the Renewable Energy Directive, it is assumed that renewable energy will provide about 30-35% of all electricity consumed in the EU by 2020. Driven by energy and climate security concerns, this share of renewable energy is likely to become much larger post-2020 and be the main component of the European power mix. Also, a decarbonised power sector is a precondition to meet the mitigation target agreed by the European Council 2009 to reduce emissions in all industrialised countries by 80-95% by 2050.
The question is no longer whether such an expansion of renewable energy is technically feasible, but rather what are the necessary steps to implement it without endangering the current level of system reliability. One of the key elements is an adequate upgrade and expansion of the electric grid. New strategic interconnections are required to transmit renewable electricity from remote generation sites to consumption centres and storage sites. Grid extension is an essential precondition for substantive renewable energy integration from both decentralised and utility scale installations.
At a time of economic distress and mounting pressure to address the widespread environmental, economic, and geopolitical consequences of our excessive reliance on CO2 emitting electricity production, the case for sustainable investments in renewable energy generation and in the transmission grid has never been stronger.
For 100% grid integration of renewable energy
Bringing the necessary transformation to the power sector will require strong coalitions across different sectors in society. The Renewables-Grid-Initiative (RGI) provides the necessary platform for relevant stakeholders to foster the necessary developments to enable 100% grid integration of renewable energy.
The Renewables-Grid-Initiative promotes the expansion of distributed and bulk renewable energy generation and transmission capacity in Europe. To reach this target, the initiative brings together relevant stakeholders. The Renewables-Grid-Initiative was founded by Antonella Battaglini, PIK Senior Scientist and European Climate Forum Process Leader for SuperSmart Grid, and it is based on her scientific work. The Renewables-Grid-Initiative was also launched by Berlin-based think-do-tank THEMA1 in January 2009 and is kindly supported by the European Climate Foundation." (http://www.renewables-grid.eu/menu-dropdown/about.html)