PARIS, France, May 30, 2007.
Renewable energies are not free of risk, but are “well placed” to reduce the risk of energy supply disruptions and reliance on imported fossil fuels, says an analysis from the International Energy Agency.
“Renewable energy sources are widely distributed and, in many locations, can provide alternative choices for generating electricity, producing heat and manufacturing transport fuels,” says Samantha Ölz in ‘Contribution of Renewables to Energy Security.’ “In addition, significant greenhouse gas reductions and various other co-benefits can be obtained.”
“The use of renewable energy in itself is not risk free; supplies vary due to the natural variable availability of many forms and the costs can be relatively high compared with traditional energy supplies,” it explains. “In recent years however, the costs for renewables have trended downwards whilst the costs for fossil fuels (including a carbon charge) have increased.”
Renewables are well placed to reduce the risk of energy supply disruptions and the current reliance by many countries on imported fuels, and have become more competitive with global growth in capacity for wind and solar at 20% per year for the past decade. “In order for governments to obtain greater security of energy supply, and to help meet their climate change policy targets, greater uptake of more energy efficient technologies, demand reduction, and adding more renewable energy systems to the national portfolio make good sense.”
Co-ordination and collaboration among member nations of the IEA, as well as between the public and private sectors, “is essential if renewable energy technologies are to be successfully developed to help meet the goals of sustainable development and climate change mitigation, as well as to reduce the risk of continuing disruptive energy supplies,” it concludes. “There is significant scope for further work on the effects of renewables on energy security” including a detailed quantitative analysis of the impact of renewables on energy security.
“Security of energy supply should be a key objective of governments if they are to meet other objectives relating to economic growth,” it adds. With the exception of the 1970 oil shocks, the world has had stable and reliable energy supplies since the Second World War and governments have invested in roads, buildings and infrastructure with the expectation that cheap and readily available energy supplies would continue. “Now that a number of threats to the future continuation of conventional energy supplies have been identified, there is growing concern that other energy sources need to be found.”
“The environmental benefits of renewable energy are well known but the contribution that they can make to energy security is less widely recognised,” it notes. The report explains how renewables can enhance security in green power, green heat and green fuels, and it suggests policies to optimise that contribution.
“For those countries where growing dependence on imported gas is a significant energy security issue, renewables can provide alternative, and usually indigenous, sources of electric power as well as displacing electricity demand through direct heat production,” it adds. “Renewables also, usually, increase the diversity of electricity sources, and through local generation, contribute to the flexibility of the system and its resistance to central shocks.”
“This makes it all the more important to pursue policies for
research, development and
deployment that can progressively reduce the costs of renewables
so that, with appropriate credit for carbon saving, they can be
established as technologies of choice,” it suggests.
