The Accelerating Energy Transition
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Before You Watch Our Lecture
Maximize your learning experience by reviewing these carefully curated videos and readings we assign to our students.
Our Lecture
Watch the Stanford course lecture.
Additional Resources
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Fast Facts About
The Accelerating Energy Transition
This is an exciting time for the energy industry—energy revolutions are underway and things are changing quickly. Fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) and biomass have dominated the energy landscape for centuries and are the leading contributors to global climate change, hazardous environmental impacts, and human health issues. However, global energy production is now shifting to clean sources, like energy efficiency and renewables, that release little to no greenhouse gases and have fewer environmental impacts. This shift is critical to reaching net zero* goals and limiting the increase in global average temperatures, as well as improving air quality and reducing the human health effects of energy.
*Net zero - achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere and those taken out.
Why We Care About Energy
Economic
Social and private costs
Political
Foreign policy, energy security and stability
Ethical
Energy access and equity
Environmental
Immediate and legacy impacts (global and local)
Health
Medical access, diseases
World
Change in Carbon Intensity* of the
Global Energy System
42% decrease
(1980-2021)
1980: .45 tCO2 per USD 1000 GDP
2021: .26 tCO2 per USD 1000 GDP
*Carbon intensity is the measure of CO2 produced per dollar of GDP.
US
Change in Carbon Intensity of the
US Energy System
65% decrease
(1980-2021)
1980: .60 tCO2 per USD 1000 GDP
2021: .21 tCO2 per USD 1000 GDP
Watch this UChicago visualization of Energy Transitions in US History from 1800-2021.
Energy Revolutions Happening
Today
- Energy Efficiency
- Solar PV (global demand ⬆197% 2017-2022)
- Wind (global demand ⬆84% 2017-2022)
- Energy Storage (just starting)
- Building Decarbonization
- Electrification of Services (buildings, transport)
Future Energy Revolution
Opportunities
- Geothermal (poised for growth)
- Hydrogen (420% growth in VC investment from 2017-2022)
- Small Modular Reactors - SMR (R&D, momentum to commercialize )
- Fusion (R&D, momentum to commercialize)
- Pricing of GHGs (carbon markets)
Before You Watch Our Lecture on
The Accelerating Energy Transition
We assign videos and readings to our Stanford students as pre-work for each lecture to help contextualize the lecture content. We strongly encourage you to watch the Essential video below before watching our lecture on The Accelerating Energy Transition. Include selections from the Optional and Useful list based on your interests and available time.
Essential
- The One UN Climate Report Graphic You Need to See. Axios. March 22, 2023. (1 page)
Energy is the number one contributor to climate change, and our choices now impact generations to come. - What Happens to Gas Stations When the World Goes Electric?. TED Countdown Dilemma Series. October 2022. (8 min)
Civil engineer and environmental sociologist Emily Grubert visualizes what a clean energy future will look like, outlining the considerations everyone needs to undertake now.
Optional and Useful
- Vfx Artist Reveals How Many Solar Panels Are Needed to Power the Entire World. Corridor Crew. September 26, 2021. (21 min)
Fun video with great visuals about the transformation of the energy system from fossil fuels to renewable energy. - How China Plans to Win the Future of Energy. Bloomberg. March 15, 2022. (16 min)
Learn about China's plan to decarbonize its massive energy system and gain a sense of the scale of investment needed for the clean energy transition worldwide.
Geopolitical Zoom-In: How Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Impacts the Global Energy System
- Why Germany Is Hooked on Russian Gas. Vox. May 18, 2022. (8 min)
History of Russian natural gas supply to Germany. Puts into context Ukraine's importance for Russia's natural gas supply to Europe. - What Europe Showed the World About Renewable Energy. Vox. February 21, 2023. (2 pages)
How Europe's efforts to break energy ties with Russia have led to a rapid transition toward renewable energy and a focus on energy efficiency.
Our Lecture on
The Accelerating Energy Transition
This is our Stanford University Understand Energy course lecture on the accelerating energy transition. We strongly encourage you to watch the full lecture to understand how the energy landscape is changing and why this is a very exciting time to be learning about energy. For a complete learning experience, we also encourage you to watch the Essential video we assign to our students before watching the lecture.
Presented by: Diana Gragg, PhD; Core Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Explore Energy Managing Director, Precourt Institute for Energy, Stanford University
Recorded on: September 27, 2023 Duration: 40 minutes
Table of Contents
(Clicking on a timestamp will take you to YouTube.)
00:00 Where Our Energy Comes From
14:19 Why Should We Care About Energy?
29:58 How About a Revolution?
Lecture slides available upon request.
Additional Resources About
The Accelerating Energy Transition
Stanford University
- Graduate School of Business
- Omer Karaduman - Energy systems analysis, energy transition pathways
- Stephen Comello - Innovation strategy and management within the global energy transition
- Energy Science and Engineering Department
- Adam Brandt - Reducing the environmental impacts of energy systems; modeling global oil depletion, or "peak oil," and transitions to oil substitutes
- Inez Azevedo – How to transition to sustainable and low carbon energy systems
Fast Facts Sources
- Share of GHG Emissions Attributed to the Delivery of Energy Services (World 2020): Climate Watch. Historical GHG Emissions, Global Historical Emissions. 2023.
- Carbon Intensity of the Energy System (World and US 1980-2021): International Energy Agency (IEA). CO2 Emissions Intensity of GDP, 1980-2021. October 26, 2022.
- Share of Global Commercial Energy Consumption by Source (1975 and 2022): International Energy Agency (IEA). Global Primary Energy Demand by Fuel, 1925-2019. October 26, 2022; Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy, p 9. 2023.
- Share of Global Electricity Generation by Source (1973 and 2022): International Energy Agency (IEA). Global Share of Electricity Generation, 1973. October 26, 2022; Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy, p 52. 2023.
- Share of GHG Emissions Attributed to the Energy-Related Sectors (US 2021): US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer, US Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Economic Sector. 2023.
- Share of US Commercial Energy Consumption by Source (1973 and 2022): US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.3 U.S. Primary Energy Consumption by Source. 2023.
- Share of US Electricity Net Generation by Source (1973 and 2022): US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Monthly Energy Review, Table 7.2A Electricity Net Generation: Total (All Sectors). 2023.
More details available on request.
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