Lost In Transition

As we enter the energy transition age, there is plenty of intellectual, technical, business and policy activity. The extent and impact of the energy transition are not yet fully known although we may imagine how life will look like at the end of it, as a reflection in an old mirror. The energy transition is taking place alongside a world increasingly connected and automated, with strong pressure for transparency and a high risk for cybercrime.

Technology is accelerating its progress and at the same time generating discontinuities and disruption of established business systems. The energy value chain is being realigned and combined with new segments as well as intertwining at times with segments from outside the energy ecosystem, enabling and reinforcing each other, fostering synergic developments. In addition, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement targets have set up a roadmap for humanity that has to be implemented in the coming years. The extent and speed of this transformation is unprecedented and going swiftly creates a certain risk for economic, technological, and regulatory errors.

Energy systems were made up of segments with defined roles and defined flows. Their infrastructure is still widely dominated by large items: oil &…