Are we over or under estimating electricity demand growth due to electrification of mobility (and everything else), greater need for computing power (such as AI) and other newer uses (e.g. crypto mining, cloud computing)? My sense is that we are underestimating the future demand; however, more important is the fact the forecasts will be wrong. That means that flexibility in power system planning becomes even more important to avoid either massive capital overspend or dragging down growth due to insufficient electrical supply. https://lnkd.in/gAwNZSCw
Meghesh Saini
4mo
The estimates will not always be accurate. For eg. Now we Use LED bulbs, instead of the halogens for lighting our houses. Therefore, the estimates considering Halogen bulbs for energy demands will always be skewed.
Mining & Processing, Energy Storage Investor / Company-builder / Project developer / Executive
4moCouldn't agree more Mikhail Nikomarov. I have always been of the view that future electricity demand is likely higher than forecast for a number of reasons: 1) Population growth 2) Significant populations still in need of access to basic electricity supply - in Africa we know that just to meet this basic need something like 6,000MW of new electricity generation capacity is required per annum. Greater urbanisation in Africa means that number is likely higher 3) Electrification of mobility, as you point our 4) AI - as you correctly point out the electricity demand implications of this are still being understood Then overlay on top of all this, the push for the sources of this electricity being greener!