7th Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference (Hybrid), May, 15-18, 2022, Las Vegas, NV, USA
We hear a lot about the Energy Transition. But what exactly is the Energy Transition? The truth is that it means different things to different people, different industries as well as different countries. Wikipedia states that the energy transition is "Significant structure change in an energy system” or “Current transition to renewable energy and other types of sustainable energy largely driven by the goal for decarbonization." And the Energy sector is the major source of global emissions with electricity and heating being the largest emitter followed by Industry, Transportation and Buildings respectively.
More and more the Energy Transition is being driven by changes in Energy Policy such as the Green New Deal, The Recovery Plan for Europe, IEA's Net Zero by 2050 plan, and the Biden administration's policies. Major global companies are developing decarbonization plans. And some of the goals put forth in policy or by companies are very aggressive. The truth is that today's energy system still depends heavily on fossil fuels. Coal, gas, oil and nuclear are still required to meet global power generation needs. To provide secure and sustainable energy systems while meeting these goals comes with a lot of challenges.
During this talk, I will discuss my view of the Energy Transition; impacts to different industries; electrification; challenges; and discuss the role of our existing infrastructure, and the need for infrastructure changes. As a mechanical engineer who spent most of my career in design and development of thermal generation power plants, I am now in the middle of this transition that is changing the way I look at the power industry. It is not only the way we generate electricity but also the way we will be using electricity.