How Fast the Global Grid Is Changing
More evidence that the world is changing faster than ever. It took the United States 80 years to provide electricity access to everyone. [1] It took China more than 35 years to electrify their country. It took India less than 20 years. Now, in Sub-Sahara Africa looks like the last few hundred million people in the world without access to electricity, will obtain it by the end of this decade. [2][3]
This shows that software and IT are not the only areas that are changing faster. The rate of change in resource intensive industries is happening faster too. However, there is going to be a scramble to provide 24/7 electricity at affordable rates. A lot of changes are happening quickly, as the different technologies compete for dominance.
These changes open up opportunities for new technologies to address the increased demand. Using intermittent renewables there will be new challenges with transmission and storage. This is an opportunity for entirely new technologies, like space based solar power (SBSP), to deliver power when and where its needed without the need for storage or transmission.
References:
[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315771114_Experiences_and_Lessons_from_China%27s_Success_in_Providing_Electricity_for_All
[2] https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/11/13/more-than-half-of-sub-saharan-africans-lack-access-to-electricity
[3] https://www.statista.com/statistics/829803/number-of-people-without-access-to-electricity-by-region/
