Electrification: A Prescription for the Ills of Atmospheric CO₂

The pattern of global electrification suggests that the global discharge of CO₂ to the atmosphere is less, and will be increasingly less, than would be the case without the continuing shift toward use of electrical energy. Data show that the world has been moving steadily toward greater electrification. Each year electricity is used to perform a larger number of tasks, and the fraction of energy used in the form of electricity has increased whether in “good times” or in “bad times.” Scenarios that incorporate technological development, and therefore growth in electrification, yield slower growth in emissions of CO₂, and consequently slower accumulation in the atmosphere. Increased world electrification slows the growth in CO₂ for two reasons: 1. electrification may reduce total energy demand 2. electrification presents opportunities to supply the energy without using CO₂-producing fuels. The large potential for slowing atmospheric CO₂ accumulation by generating electricity with nonfossil technologies is demonstrated by the scenarios presented here.