Coming Electrification Will Require the Grid to Evolve

Electrification of many buildings, vehicles, and factories–needed to address climate change–will increase electric demand in ways that require an evolution of the electric grid. About 20% of the emissions reductions in the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero scenario come from electrification. With more building heat coming from electricity instead of on-site fossil fuels, many regions will need to accommodate winter electricity demand that exceeds electricity consumption in the summer. Likewise, growing numbers of electric trucks and industrial heat pumps will mean the distribution grid in some locations will have to serve new multi-megawatt loads. Energy efficiency and demand response will become increasingly important to maintain grid reliability and to reduce the need for expensive new electricity generation and additional grid infrastructure.