Abstract:

Grids have been the backbone of electricity systems for more than a century, underpinning economic activity by bringing power to homes, industry and services. As clean energy transitions advance, the role of electricity will be more prominent, making grids even more important for society and economies. Electrification and renewables deployment are both picking up pace, but without adequate grids to connect the new electricity supply with the demand, there is a risk that clean energy transitions will stall. This report offers a global stocktake of the world’s electricity grids as they stand today, taking a detailed look at grid infrastructure, connection queues, the cost of outages, grid congestion, generation curtailment, and timelines for grid development. The study found that there are already signs today that grids are becoming a bottleneck to clean energy transitions and analyse the risks we face if grid development and reform do not advance fast enough.