The Future Is Closer Than You Think for Some Forms of Alternative Energy, Says The Boston Consulting Group

TheBostonConsultingGroup.com
November 10, 2010

Advanced Biofuels, Concentrated Solar Power, and Solar Photovoltaic Power Are on Track to Change the Global Energy Landscape Far Earlier Than Many Assume
SAN FRANCISCO, November 10, 2010—For skeptics, alternative energy has long been more hype than genuine promise. Yet several alternative-energy technologies are approaching inflection points in their development, and the day when they could have a profound impact on the global energy landscape could come far sooner than is commonly assumed, says a new report from The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The report, released today and titled What’s Next for Alternative Energy?, examines the state of seven of the most significant alternative-energy technologies—advanced biofuels, electric vehicles (EVs), concentrated solar power (CSP), solar photovoltaic (PV), onshore wind, offshore wind, and clean coal through carbon capture and sequestration (CCS)—and assesses each one’s prospects in terms of three issues:

• Can it achieve cost competitiveness with conventional energy by 2020 and be economically viable without subsidies?

• Can it overcome barriers to rapid adoption once cost competitive?

• Can it reach penetration levels by 2025 that disrupt the status quo?

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