Solar Futures Report Outlines Pathway to Zero Carbon Grid
A new report released by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory explores solar energy’s role in transitioning to a carbon-free electric grid by 2035.
The finds that with aggressive cost reductions, supportive policies and large-scale electrification, solar could account for as much as 40% of the nation’s electricity supply by 2035 and 45% by 2050.
The interactive report shows that with increasing technological advances and aggressive solar implementation a carbon free grid can be attainable in the foreseeable future. The Solar Futures Study is the third in a series of vision studies from SETO and NREL, preceded by the (2012) and (2016). While the previous studies focused on the impacts of low-cost solar technologies on the economy, this study dives into solar energy’s role in a decarbonized grid and provides analysis of future solar technologies, the solar workforce and how solar energy might interact with other technologies like storage.