How hackers and geopolitics could derail the planned energy transition
Summary
Cybersecurity, Simonovich argued, was important both as "an opportunity to accelerate the energy transition if we can get it right because it builds trust, but also as a major source of risk that we need to address pretty urgently." Alongside cybersecurity, geopolitics will also have a role to play if the planet is to shift to a low-carbon energy system, a point forcefully made by Abdurrahman Khalidi, chief technology officer of GE Gas Power, EMEA. President Joe Biden said the U.S. and EU would also "work together to take concrete measures to reduce dependence on natural gas — period — and to maximize … the availability and use of renewable energy." Given that fossil fuels play such a major role in modern life, any transition to an energy system and economy centered around renewables and low-carbon technologies will require a vast amount of money. Fossil fuels are ingrained in the global energy mix, and companies continue to discover and develop oil and gas fields at locations around the world.