The Global Electricity Grid: A Comprehensive Review

Bimal Kumar Dora, Sunil Bhat, Arghya Mitra, Damien Ernst, Adrian Halinka, Daria Zychma () and Pawel Sowa
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Bimal Kumar Dora: Department of Electrical Engineering, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur 440010, India
Sunil Bhat: Department of Electrical Engineering, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur 440010, India
Arghya Mitra: Department of Electrical Engineering, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur 440010, India
Damien Ernst: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Montefiore Institute, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Adrian Halinka: Department of Power System and Control, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Daria Zychma: Department of Power System and Control, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Pawel Sowa: Department of Power System and Control, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 5, 1-40

Abstract: Renewable energy includes a wide variety of technologies that may provide electric energy without releasing greenhouse gases. However, due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources, relying on a single source cannot ensure a steady energy supply, making it essential to combine multiple renewable energies with thermal generators to meet the required energy demand. Furthermore, the economic feasibility of renewable energy can vary significantly across different geographical regions. These challenges can be addressed successfully through the global electricity grid concept. It enables the efficient transmission of clean energy over long distances, and it allows nations to capitalize on their unique renewable energy strengths, facilitating the seamless exchange of clean energy to meet global demand while optimizing the use of renewable resources worldwide. This paper examines global and regional initiatives aimed at fostering a sustainable energy future, highlighting the benefits and challenges associated with globally interconnected power grids and intercontinental transmission networks. Although the challenges and opportunities of the global electricity grid are well understood, the quantification of its costs, benefits, and environmental impacts remains in its infancy, leaving a significant gap in the current literature.

Keywords: the global grid; renewable energy; electricity transmission network; world energy interconnection; power transmission; climate change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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