Electrification offers an off-ramp from fossil fuels, but there is a hook
The Iran war is turbocharging global electrification. But experts say the global grid needs to roughly double in size, as infrastructure bottlenecks prevent a clean energy revolution.
At the final Climate Summit as UN secretary-general, António Guterres spoke passionately, stating that humanity is the first generation with the tools to end the fossil fuel era and the last that can prevent climate catastrophe. The buzzword of global climate talks today is electrification. Türkiye, the host of COP31, aims to have 35% of global energy demand met with electricity by 2035, up from 23% currently.
This would entail replacing fossil fuels like gas and petrol in the transport sector, homes, businesses, and industry with electricity.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that solar PV and wind are now the fastest-growing sources of global electricity generation, surpassing coal and gas to meet over half of new electricity demand. Electric vehicle sales have surged 40-fold since 2015, and falling costs have spurred significant additions to stationary battery storage, totaling almost 120 gigawatts (GW) in 2025.
Electrification offers significant energy security benefits, particularly for countries reliant on fossil fuel imports. The Ukraine-Russia war has heightened concerns over fuel shocks and volatility, pushing nations to explore alternative energy sources. Since March, around 25 countries have introduced policies to promote electrification.
While electrification has gained traction worldwide, including in Europe, the US, China, and other regions, challenges remain. Coal remains the largest source of electricity, and the grid infrastructure must be expanded to accommodate the influx of renewable energy sources. The IEA estimates that adding over 80 million kilometers of grid infrastructure, or roughly the entire global grid, will be necessary by 2040.
Despite these challenges, the promise of electrification in averting the climate crisis remains compelling. The world is facing unprecedented heatwaves, extreme weather events, and rising sea levels. The UN predicts that the planet will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial warming within a decade, leading to dire consequences for human health, food security, and ecosystems. As such, accelerating the adoption of electrification technologies is crucial to transitioning to a clean energy future.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
