THREAD: Our new book, "Digital Decarbonization," is OUT TODAY!! Read on 👇for previews of what our thirteen expert authors had to say. Then pick up a copy in paperback or Amazon Kindle (amazon.com/Digital-Decarb…) or download the whole book for free (cfr.org/report/digital…) (1/15) 
Will the digital revolution speed a clean energy transition? @MichelsonEvan and I convened ~40 experts @CFR_org to discuss. In my book intro, I pull back the curtain on the vibrant debate we had, in which many worried digitalization might raise, not lower, GHG emissions (2/15)
A digital wave of venture capital is already flooding into cleantech. @StephenComello's (@StanfordEnergy) data show despite prior failures in PV, biofuels, batteries ("Wave 1"), VCs are investing more money in more deals in nimble, digital, energy-demand startups ("Wave 2) (3/15)
But David Victor @GPS_UCSD @BrookingsInst warns Silicon Valley's poor track record in cleantech should temper enthusiasm that new wave of VC $$ will transform energy. And remember—digitalization is an equal opportunity revolution that can help dirty as well as clean energy (4/15)
Still, opportunities for digital innovations to reduce emissions are breathtaking. @Lidija_Sekaric @SiemensUSA leads off w/ the electric power sector, surveying opportunities for a digital, decentralized, transactive, & autonomous grid of the future that's clean above all (5/15)
You want wonky? Ben Hertz-Shargel @EnergyHub lives up to his name (hehe) and gets into the weeds of how to design distribution markets to most efficiently harness distributed energy resources to balance the power grid at all scales. It's a fascinating (and technical!) read (6/15)
What about transportation? @PeterFoxPenner @EnergyImpact_ argues that whereas electrification of mobility clearly aids decarbonization, self-driving cars (combination of many digital innovations) may not be electric and might raise emissions by boosting demand for travel (7/15)
Still, @Rit_Aggarwala @sidewalklabs offers AV predictions. Robot taxis will emerge w/in 5 yrs, safety will improve, & hi-density mass transit will endure. But on emissions, radical new car use cases & sluggish electrification could overwhelm efficiency, ridesharing gains (8/15)
A cross-cutting area of opportunities for digital innovations to reduce emissions is using data science to tackle big datasets. @KyleJBradbury @DukeUEnergy surveys the landscape, including integrating more intermittent renewable energy & managing buildings more efficiently (9/15)
.@Sonny_Garg @Uptake provides a concrete example of putting data to work in service of boosting renewable energy. His company monitors sensor data from fleets of wind turbines to perform predictive maintenance, minimize downtime and costs, and maximize output. (10/15)
But for all their potential, digital innovations also bring risks. @DrErfanIbrahim (fmr cyber head @NREL) warns of grave cybersecurity threats faced by a digitalizing power grid, & recommends a "defense-in-depth" strategy to mitigate them. Essential reading for utilities! (11/15)
Cyber isn't the only risk. As @JesseJJWS (an author of the authoritative @IEA study on energy digitalization) explains, data privacy and economic displacement risks are real. Addressing them will require thoughtful policymakers and culturally sensitive policies. (12/15)
Who better to recommend public policies than John O'Leary & @RKauffmanEnergy, New York's energy czar & @REV4NY architect—they lay out sensible state regulatory reforms for utilities to use digital techs as "non-wires alternatives" to save customers $$ and reduce emissions (13/15)
Finally Hiang Kwee Ho (Nanyang Tech Univ) offers an int'l perspective from Singapore, which aims to be a "smart nation" & is investing in both a digital energy revolution as well as broader digital infrastructure (eg broadband) en route to ambitious decarbonization goals (14/15)
SUMMARY: digital innovations aren't inherently clean, but policymakers can bias them toward a clean energy transition (eg w/ carbon pricing). Digitalization presents a rare opportunity to transform the sluggish energy sector; crucial to keep decarbonization front & center (15/15)
