Transition away from fossil fuels toward renewables: lessons from Russia-Ukraine crisis
Corresponding Author(s) : Seyed Ehsan Hosseini
Future Energy,
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022): May 2022 Issue
Abstract
The world’s progress towards net-zero ambitions will bring down fossil fuel utilization and imports over time. However, crises such as COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have raised questions about the reliability of non-renewables and what actions could be taken by policymakers to immediately mitigate reliance on fossil fuels for vulnerable importers. The responses to the recent crises could reorient energy geopolitics by the decentralization of the global energy system and speeding up renewables deployment. These superb targets require a concerted and sustained energy policy effort across multiple industries, alongside strong international communication on energy security. Clear dialogue between governments, the green power generation industries, and consumers is also a crucial element for successful renewable energy implementation. The world’s energy crisis has unveiled that the transition to renewable energy has been too slow, and serious efforts are required to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels toward renewables.
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- Hosseini SE. An outlook on the global development of renewable and sustainable energy at the time of COVID-19. Energy Res Soc Sci 2020;68:101633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101633.
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- Send Press Releases with GlobeNewswire n.d. https://www.globenewswire.com/ (accessed March 13, 2022).
- Home - Bioenergy Europe n.d. https://bioenergyeurope.org/ (accessed March 13, 2022).
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References
Hosseini SE. An outlook on the global development of renewable and sustainable energy at the time of COVID-19. Energy Res Soc Sci 2020;68:101633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101633.
Russian gas exports to Europe affect responses to the Ukraine invasion : NPR n.d. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1079338002/russia-ukraine-europe-gas-nordstream2-energy (accessed March 7, 2022).
Russia’s Energy Role in Europe: What’s at Stake With the Ukraine Crisis | Council on Foreign Relations n.d. https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/russias-energy-role-europe-whats-stake-ukraine-crisis (accessed March 4, 2022).
Will Europe have to return to coal if Russia cuts off gas imports? | Euronews n.d. https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/03/07/europe-scrambles-to-keep-the-lights-on-as-it-sidelines-russian-gas (accessed March 7, 2022).
How Europe can cut natural gas imports from Russia significantly within a year - News - IEA n.d. https://www.iea.org/news/how-europe-can-cut-natural-gas-imports-from-russia-significantly-within-a-year (accessed March 7, 2022).
Majority of New Renewables Undercut Cheapest Fossil Fuel on Cost n.d. https://www.irena.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2021/Jun/Majority-of-New-Renewables-Undercut-Cheapest-Fossil-Fuel-on-Cost (accessed March 6, 2022).
Gap between renewable energy and power demand: oil, gas, coal needed n.d. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/04/gap-between-renewable-energy-and-power-demand-oil-gas-coal.html (accessed February 27, 2022).
Electricity Market Report - July 2021 – Analysis - IEA n.d. https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-market-report-july-2021 (accessed March 2, 2022).
WindEurope - the voice of the wind energy industry n.d. https://windeurope.org/ (accessed March 12, 2022).
Home - SolarPower Europe n.d. https://www.solarpowereurope.org/ (accessed March 13, 2022).
Scientific American: Science News, Expert Analysis, Health Research - Scientific American n.d. https://www.scientificamerican.com/ (accessed March 12, 2022).
Homepage | Energy Intelligence n.d. https://www.energyintel.com/ (accessed March 11, 2022).
EURACTIV.com – EURACTIV is your one-stop-shop for in-depth news about policies and politics from EU institutions and national capitals. n.d. https://www.euractiv.com/ (accessed March 11, 2022).
SET-Plan-Deep Geothermal IWG Implementation Plan n.d. https://setis.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-04/Implementation plan on deep geothermal energy.pdf (accessed March 13, 2022).
Severn Estuary: Britain resurfaces huge tidal energy plan amid Ukraine crisis n.d. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/11/severn-estuary-britain-resurfaces-huge-tidal-energy-plan-amid-ukraine-crisis.html (accessed March 13, 2022).
IEA – International Energy Agency n.d. https://www.iea.org/ (accessed March 12, 2022).
Send Press Releases with GlobeNewswire n.d. https://www.globenewswire.com/ (accessed March 13, 2022).
Home - Bioenergy Europe n.d. https://bioenergyeurope.org/ (accessed March 13, 2022).
Hosseini SE, Wahid MA. Hydrogen production from renewable and sustainable energy resources: Promising green energy carrier for clean development. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2016;57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.12.112.
Insight from Moscow: Russia aiming to take major role in global hydrogen markets | S&P Global Commodity Insights n.d. https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/market-insights/blogs/natural-gas/012022-russia-hydrogen-gas-reserves (accessed March 11, 2022).
Australian-German hydrogen program opens for business - Australian Renewable Energy Agency n.d. https://arena.gov.au/blog/australian-german-hydrogen-program-opens-for-business/ (accessed March 11, 2022).
Author Biography
Dr. Hosseini is an Asst. Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Arkansas Tech University (ATU). He established Combustion and Sustainable Energy Laboratory (ComSEL) at ATU working on various energy and combustion-related projects. Before joining Arkansas Tech University, Dr. Hosseini was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Combustion and Solar Energy Laboratory with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University working on a hybrid solar thermal energy generation system funded by the Department of Energy (DOE). Dr. Hosseini's publication list (here).