As fossil fuel use declines, experts urge planning and coordination to prevent chaotic collapse
As the world shifts toward renewable energy sources, some experts warn that a lack of planning for the retirement of fossil fuels could lead to a disorderly and dangerous collapse of existing systems that could prolong the transition to green energy.
In a study published in the journal Science, University of Notre Dame researchers Emily Grubert and Joshua Lappen argue that fossil fuel systems might be far more fragile than current energy models assume.
“Systems designed to be large and growing behave differently when they shrink,” said Grubert, associate professor of sustainable energy policy at Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs and a faculty affiliate of the Keough School’s Pulte Institute for Global Development. “Ignoring this shift puts everything at risk, from the success of green energy to the basic safety and reliability of our power.”
