Microgrids Are Not Synonymous With Clean Power

Ok, nerd alert! This is going to be a technical-jargon-heavy read, but bear with me because the argument brought forward by the article is critical.

The decentralisation of our electricity systems might lead us to a future where big electricity grids, as we know them, will be replaced by networks of microgrids powering entire continents.

Here comes the critical argument though — that doesn’t necessarily mean decarbonisation! In other words, microgrids, are not synonymous with clean power!

Without the right policy framework we can expect a largely gas-driven microgrid future, University of California at San Diego researchers found in a new study published in the journal Energy Policy.

They explain: "decentralization could radically reduce customer energy costs, but without the right policy framework, it could create large numbers of small decentralized sources of gas-based carbon emissions that will be difficult to control if policymakers want to achieve deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions".

The right policy framework is needed quickly, in order to safeguard the future of this evolution!