Clean Power and Electrification

The World Economic Forum is launching a new program on Clean Electrification. Stakeholders are invited to join this effort, to shape a new program to address roadblocks and enablers to scale clean power and electrification. The program will not only address the massive scale-up of clean power infrastructure needed on the energy supply side, but also the transition needed on the demand side of the system, across transportation, industry, and buildings.   

Currently, the share of electricity in final energy consumption is 20%, of which less than 1/3 is supplied by renewables. To avoid global temperature increases , scenarios developed by the main international agencies and observers (e.g. ETC, IEA, IRENA and others) indicate similar requirements: final energy demands must shift from 20% to 50 80% direct clean electricity by 2050.

Practically speaking, cars ,buildings and industries must shift to technologies using clean electricity backed by renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels.

The program’s main objective is to mobilize stakeholders, both public and private, to implement the necessary actions to build out renewables, transform the grid/network and to transform and optimize demand- ultimately resulting in an economy powered by 50-80% direct, clean power by 2050. 

This objective has three components

1. Inclusive Leadership: Engaging a range of sectors, government leaders and business both incumbents to innovation


2. Building the electricity backbone: Transforming the existing supply side, which includes a massive deployment of renewable generation capacity and reformation of markets. In addition, more focus is needed on investments to optimise expansion, refurbishment and digitalisation of power grids and networks – as this will be the platform between active supply and demand


3. Transforming energy demand: Massive clean electrification of end uses, including buildings, transport, industry and even cooking and agriculture is needed. Much of this can result in significant value to end users/consumers.