Sören Amelang, Clean Energy Wire
July 24, 2017
Summary
Information and communication technology is about to revolutionise Germany’s energy sector once again. The birthplace of the energy transition needs a more flexible and efficient electricity system based on millions of wind and solar installations that can also power cars and heating. Digitalisation will be crucial for this next phase of the Energiewende because it offers enormous potential to speed up the decarbonisation of the world’s fourth largest economy. But the shift will upend many existing business models, and raises concerns about data privacy and cyberattacks.
“There is no doubt that digitalisation will take the energy transition to an entirely new level,” says Robert Spanheimer, energy expert at digital industry association bitkom.
Fabian Reetz, from technology and society think tank Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, agrees: “Digitalisation approaches the entire energy sector with lightning speed. It changes the rules of the game, shifts the balance of power, and makes possible what has been impossible up to now.”
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