COP26, getting to net-zero: How clean electricity can be crowdsourced by digitalizing the grid

The author asserts that clean electrification of transport, heating, and industry could eliminate 73.2% of global emissions, but current grid infrastructure cannot fully accommodate the variable nature of renewable energy. To resolve this, the document advocates for the digitalization of the grid to transform consumers into 'prosumers' who both produce and consume electricity. It proposes nine specific actions, including retrofitting aging infrastructure, revising regulations to empower new stakeholders like microgrid operators, and ensuring that the $260-820 billion annual investment in grid infrastructure through 2030 supports net-zero technologies.

• Clean electrification of industry, buildings heating, and transportation is identified as a primary solution for climate mitigation, capable of eradicating 73.2% of global emissions.
• Existing grid infrastructure is unable to capture the full 29% of renewable energy generated globally in 2020 because it was designed for consistent, predictable flows rather than the variable output of renewables.
• Digitalization allows for a transition to 'prosumerism,' where citizens produce, consume, and sell electricity back to the grid using distributed energy resources such as home solar panels, battery storage, and vehicle-to-grid charging.
• To support a net-zero future, an estimated $260-820 billion must be invested annually in grid infrastructure between now and 2030.

APA

New, A. H. P. (2021). COP26, getting to net-zero: How clean electricity can be crowdsourced by digitalizing the grid. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/clean-electrification-crowdsource-net-zero-cop26-digitalization/

Chicago

New, Amina Hamidi, Philip. COP26, getting to net-zero: How clean electricity can be crowdsourced by digitalizing the grid. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/clean-electrification-crowdsource-net-zero-cop26-digitalization/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=New |first1=Amina Hamidi, Philip |title=COP26, getting to net-zero: How clean electricity can be crowdsourced by digitalizing the grid |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=19 October 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/clean-electrification-crowdsource-net-zero-cop26-digitalization/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{new2021cop26, author = {New, Amina Hamidi, Philip}, title = {{COP26, getting to net-zero: How clean electricity can be crowdsourced by digitalizing the grid}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/clean-electrification-crowdsource-net-zero-cop26-digitalization/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }