The investment required to upgrade and expand transmission infrastructure across the world will be a key challenge as more renewables come online, consultancy EY has warned.
While the “conditions are ripe for rapid growth” in renewables generation around the world, an immediate upgrade of energy transmission grids is now “critical”, EY said in its biennial Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI).
Given the extent of grid development needed across the globe, it will be crucial for all regulators to reconsider the permitting, regulatory and financing environment to help ensure outdated grid systems do not become a major hurdle in the race to net zero, according to the report.