Save for later Print Download Share LinkedIn Twitter Electricity needs to cover at least 60% of final energy consumption -- up from 22% now -- if the EU wants to cut carbon emissions 95% by 2050, industry group Eurelectric found in a new study. This would be achievable with 1.5% annual growth in electricity use combined with a 1.3% reduction in total energy consumption, the study also found. It would also require a 63% electrification rate, up from 34% now, in buildings, and 50%, up from 33%, in industrial processes. The most challenging sector would be transport, where electrification would need to jump from the current 1% to over 60%, including almost 100% for cars, 60% for buses, 50% for trucks and even 5% for planes (NE Jun.20'13). Besides electricity, clean technologies such as geothermal, solar thermal, biofuels, hydrogen and synthetic fuels would need to account for 27% of final energy demand in Eurelectric's 95% decarbonization scenario, with fossil fuels at a mere 13%.
