System Change
Decarbonizing existing processes.
Power Moves
Decarbonization, the shift from fossil-fuel combustion to renewable and lower-carbon sources of energy — including the capture, utilization, and storage of CO2 — has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This shift to renewables and other emissions-free power has been accelerating in recent years, driven by plummeting costs for solar and wind technologies, federal policies, and consumer demand. As the electricity sector becomes increasingly decarbonized with variable generation sources, advanced technologies will need to be brought online to meet peak load and adjust to seasonal changes in demand. Advanced technologies — including clean-hydrogen combustion or fuel cells, long-duration energy storage, advanced nuclear, and alternative fuel generation with carbon capture and sequestration — can provide clean, firm resources that balance increased variable generation.
In an environment with high penetration of renewables, integrating microgrid capabilities — like power conversion, communication, and control — can facilitate the aggregation of distributed resources to meet community and operational needs while enhancing resilience.