Ok time to talk about getting those #renewables BUILT. 💪
Slow planning and permitting is stopping us from getting on track for net-zero. My colleagues @ETC_energy have set out what the problems are, and how we can try to address them. A 🧵
1. What's the size of the problem? Both solar and wind need to grow much faster to get on-track for net-zero by 2050. Current projections would lead to a power system that emits 2.2 GtCO2 more each year by 2030!
Need to close that gap!
As an aside, the only country that's crushing VRE deployment? China, obviously - and also Spain (nice one!).
2. What is slowing things down? Four big buckets: lots of admin/bureaucracy, lack of societal support (esp. at a local scale!), network availability, and clear gov regulation. Need action across all of these fronts!
As an example, in the UK it takes ~12 years to build an offshore wind farm, with a lot of time hanging around waiting for grid connection, environmental impact assessments or legal challenges.
That's wild. If we want #energysecurity, we have to be able to build stuff, fast.
3. Can we go faster? Of course! We reckon you can halve the time for on/offshore wind, and reduce the time for a solar farm four-fold!
And, before you jump on a bonfire-of-regulations - the report sets out clearly where environmental impact assessments are crucial, and the importance of accounting for #biodiversity and #nature. These impacts matter - but we can understand them faster.
So, who needs to act and how? Governments clearly have a major role across many of the issues, but developers can help, and civil society and local authorities also need to buy in to these projects to drive progress.