A NEW ELECTRICAL REVOLUTION FOR DECARBONIZATION
While emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes account for nearly 85% of CO2 emissions worldwide, the electrification of energy uses is one of the main levers for achieving carbon neutrality. Even with the application of strong measures for energy savings and efficiency, electricity production will have to increase significantly, via decarbonized production methods (nuclear and renewable). This observation is unanimously shared by the IPCC, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the European Union, as well as by RTE and Enedis, which are counting on a growth of at least 30% in French electricity consumption by 2050. The "electrification of uses" will above all concern the three main sectors that emit greenhouse gases, namely transport (around 30% of emissions), buildings (23%) and industry (25%).
But a "new electricity revolution" is absolutely vital and its success depends on a coherent articulation between the deployment of intermittent renewable energies and the growing electrification of uses. To allow the electricity system to integrate massively and at the best cost both these decarbonized renewable productions and the new uses of electricity, the deployment of new energy and digital technologies is crucial. These technologies will allow finer management and optimization of electricity flows, which are needed to guarantee the "flexibility" necessary for the proper functioning of the electricity system. This electrical revolution to decarbonize our energy mix will be associated with multiple positive externalities, such as the improvement of living conditions for Europeans, the creation of jobs in our industries, the reduction of energy expenditure by households and businesses, and finally, France’s energy independence.
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