Expanded grids are critical to enable such levels of growth as the world deploys more electric vehicles, installs more electric heating and cooling systems, and scales up hydrogen production using electrolysis. Electricity demand needs to grow even more rapidly in a global pathway to net zero emissions by 2050, which is consistent with limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 ☌. To achieve countries’ national energy and climate goals, the world’s electricity use needs to grow 20% faster in the next decade than it did in the previous one. As a result, countries’ transitions to net zero emissions need to be underpinned by bigger, stronger and smarter grids. Clean energy transitions are now driving the transformation of our energy systems and expanding the role of electricity across economies. Grids have been delivering power to households, businesses and industry for over 100 years. The backbone of today’s electricity systems, grids are set to become increasingly important as clean energy transitions progress, but they currently receive too little attention.
