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Navigating the energy transition: Electric power and natural gas 2022

Looking back at the range of insights published by McKinsey’s Electric Power & Natural Gas Practice in 2022, one thing remains exceedingly clear: the energy transition is already well under way. In the global response to limit greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, renewable power from solar, wind, hydrogen, and batteries is taking an ever-increasing share of generation capacity.

Introduction

Article

The power sector’s net-zero transition: Scaling up renewables and infrastructure

– Unlocking value from the expansion of renewable- and low-emissions power generation may depend on managing volatility and dispatchable capacity, as well as the rising costs of electricity.

Corporate opportunities

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

A devilish duality: How CEOs can square resilience with net-zero promises
– Amid turbulence on the path to net zero, leaders will have to be much nimbler to balance resilience with an energy future that... is secure, affordable, and clean. Five actions can help.
Article

How can CFOs rebrand themselves as innovation allies?
– They can take five actions to improve objective-setting, performance measurement, and cultural factors associated with successful... innovation projects.
Article

Full-potential procurement: Lessons amid inflation and volatility
– Procurement organizations are uniquely positioned to catalyze cross-functional actions that promote efficiency and resilience... in rapidly evolving market conditions.

Building infrastructure

Article

A new approach to advanced analytics in utility asset management
– Studying how one North American transmission and distribution utility’s implementation of advanced analytics in asset management... can help other organizations embark on similar journeys.
Article

Unlocking opportunities from industrial electrification
– Electrification brings major value creation opportunities for industrial companies across the value chain—from integrators... to raw-material suppliers—but also requires timely actions and investments.
Article

Decarbonizing the grid with 24/7 clean power purchase agreements
– In the global struggle to curb greenhouse-gas emissions, renewable power is taking an ever-increasing share of generation capacity.... Yet the rise of wind and solar power is creating new challenges in managing the system.

Innovation and technology

Article

Renewable-energy development in a net-zero world: Overcoming talent gaps
– The rapid growth of renewables depends on the industry finding enough employees with the right skills and experience.
Article

Renewable-energy development in a net-zero world: Land, permits, and grids
– Finding large tracts of land for solar and wind farms is getting harder. Developers will have to strengthen capabilities and enhance... their operational effectiveness.
Article

Renewable-energy development in a net-zero world
– Global decarbonization will require a massive build-out of wind and solar farms. But can developers find enough land, secure the... supply chain, and recruit workers while maintaining profitability?
Article

Five charts on hydrogen’s role in a net-zero future
– Hydrogen has great potential as a carbon-free energy carrier. Here’s a look at the momentum behind this widely applicable technology.
Article

Building resilient supply chains for the European energy transition
– To ensure a timely and orderly energy transition, companies and other stakeholders urgently need to strengthen each step... of the already-stretched supply chains of key technologies.
Article

Will fusion energy help decarbonize the power system?
– Nuclear fusion has long been considered a near-impossible clean-energy solution. But technological advances—and the need... for a flexible zero-carbon power grid—have made fusion worth considering.
Blog Post

The potential of hydrogen
– To get ahead in the energy transition, energy players should take advantage of the growing momentum for hydrogen.
Report

Net-zero heat: Long-duration energy storage to accelerate energy system decarbonization
– Thermal energy storage has the potential to greatly contribute to decarbonizing global heat and power, while helping to ensure... the energy system operates affordably, reliably, and efficiently.

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