Green electricity for Europe: where it’s produced and how far it’s transported hinges on infrastructure rather than cost. (Image: ETH Zurich)
Green electricity for Europe: where it's produced and how far it's transported hinges on infrastructure rather than cost. (Image: ETH Zurich) - How should Europe organise its renewable energy supply network - on a continental, national or regional level? It's a controversial issue. A Swiss-German research team has analysed the costs and technical feasibility of supply networks of various sizes. The European Union aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and is relying largely on renewable electricity to reach this goal. How to best implement the energy transition is the subject of heated debate: a system that concentrates energy generation infrastructure in the most suitable locations across the continent would be the most affordable solution, but many citizens favour smaller, more dispersed supply units where electricity is generated close to the consumer. Researchers from the Climate Policy Group at ETH Zurich, together with colleagues at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam, have now investigated the technical and financial feasibility of supplying green electricity from renewable energy sources at continental, national and regional level. In particular, they looked at whether smaller supply units are in fact significantly more expensive than a continental-scale system.
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