Global electricity demand is set to grow by around 1,100 terawatt-hours annually through 2030, roughly 50% faster than the past decade’s average. Yet power systems are struggling to keep pace, with more than 2,500 gigawatts of renewable energy, storage and large-load projects stalled in grid connection queues worldwide.
Written by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Accenture, Enabling the Electricity Era: From Proven Solutions to Execution at Scale identifies the conditions needed to scale existing solutions. It outlines 10 priority actions across three challenges: unlocking unused grid capacity, connecting large electricity users more effectively and accelerating infrastructure development.
Drawing on real-world examples from countries across the globe, the report demonstrates how regulatory reform, investment, digital innovation and coordinated action can overcome deployment barriers. By bringing governments, regulators, operators and investors together, these measures could help deliver more flexible, affordable, secure and resilient power systems at the required pace.