Electrification

• Switching fossil fuel devices to electric power

Carbon Intensity

• Carbon intensity is the carbon emitted per unit of service delivered
• For electrical grids that is kilowatt-hour or megawatt-hour
• Carbon Intensity of Electricity (Our World in Data)

Decarbonization

• Lowering the mass of carbon dioxide emitted per unit of electrical energy generated.

Co-Benefits of Electrification

• Reduced air pollution
• Lower operating volumes for motors

Challenges

• Variability
  • Wind and solar power vary with wind speed, time of day, and cloud cover
• Transmission
  • Wind and solar resources are not always close to populations
  • This often requires new and expensive transmission lines
• Distribution
  • New electricity loads may require new and expensive upgrades to our distribution system
• New environmental impacts
  • New types of pollution from production and use
• Rare Minerals
  • Many materials used in electrification expose human rights and geopolitical issues
  • Earth Abundant Batteries
  • Earth Abundant Solar Materials