The true challenge for the electric sector is not to simply reduce GHG emissions, but to build a vast replacement infrastructure capable of transmitting and storing new and increasing amounts of renewable energy. This new system must also be able to handle expanding capacity to meet the rising demand of electricity to power transportation, space heating, and other applications where fossil fuels are currently used. In effect, the clean energy transition will require complementary initiatives that adapt existing resources to accommodate the unique characteristics of solar and wind power to deliver what is now provided by a substantially different technology. These efforts must also be implemented in tandem with major investments in energy efficiency, as discussed in the Residential, Commercial, and Industrial chapters elsewhere in this report.
The true challenge for the electric sector is not to simply reduce GHG emissions, but to build a vast replacement infrastructure capable of transmitting and storing new and increasing amounts of renewable energy. This new system must also be able to handle expanding capacity to meet the rising demand of electricity to power transportation, space heating, and other applications where fossil fuels are currently used. In effect, the clean energy transition will require complementary initiatives that adapt existing resources to accommodate the unique characteristics of solar and wind power to deliver what is now provided by a substantially different technology. These efforts must also be implemented in tandem with major investments in energy efficiency, as discussed in the Residential, Commercial, and Industrial chapters elsewhere in this report.
