No individual technology, as important it may be, is able to transform entire energy systems, which can be large and complex. For example, to improve access to energy among rural and poor households, there will need to be diverse sources of energy supply (fossil and renewable), a wide portfolio of technologies, and a variety of institutional and innovative business models adapted to local circumstances.
The GEA pathways provide a better understanding of what combination of measures, over which time frames and at what costs, is needed to deliver the necessary solutions. In general, portfolios of technologies need to balance each technology’s option value – or social benefits in case of successful diffusion – and risk, in terms of both innovation failure and investment.
Video: What is the most important technology to help an energy transition?
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