Entrepreneurs based in Asia have just put forth a global agenda: they want an interconnected energy grid that connects the region with renewable energy sources. The global affair seeks to connect countries half a world away, and this can happen as early as 2050.
It can be remembered that while there are tremendous leaps in the realm of renewable energy, a big problem still plagues entrepreneurs. Their sources tend to be inconvenient for human uses, and they tend to be generated at rather inconvenient times. Granted, the sources are cheaper and can alleviate needs for traditional polluting sources, but it can be a pain.
Grid-level battery storage is part of the problem that is being seen by entrepreneurs. The best way to save money and resources is to make a very big and very cheap grid for everyone to use. This is the agenda of the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Co-operation Organization (GEIDCO).
If the GEIDCO agenda is met, then the world can be linked with an interconnected power grid. This allows users to use renewable energy anytime, anywhere. The China-based organization now has agreements with various countries such as South Korea, Japan, and Russia. They also have agreements with utilities, equipment manufacturers, and schools from at least 14 countries.
According to New Atlas, the project is as ambitious as it is achievable. The logic of the agenda is simple as well -- a big power load somewhere matches almost the same amount of demand anywhere in the world. So when it's noon in the Gobi Desert (meaning solar is at its peak), it's dinner in the United Kingdom, and everyone needs electricity.
The first move for GEIDCO is to build an Asian Super Grid to connect the capabilities of Gobi Desert in China to as far east as Japan. Ultra high voltage transmission lines can operate more than 1,000 kilovolts AC/800 kilovolts DC. High voltages reduce losses over long distances, Russia and Japan already have these lines in check. China also has 10,000 miles of UHV power lines, meaning the plan is becoming more feasible by the minute.
The larger the web of resources is, the more stable the supplies because they are less dependent on individual sources. This means the chances of a global energy network to connect Greenland to South Africa and Australia to Switzerland is becoming closer to reality.
This doesn't mean there aren't any obstacles, given the geopolitics involved. However, China's already massive 1.35 billion population merits some sort of desire to push hard on its renewable energy investments.