Electrification Accelerator

Up to 75% of global energy demand could be electrified by 2050, replacing much of the fossil fuel still used for transport, heating and industry. But that shift will not happen at the pace needed unless governments, regulators and industry have the right infrastructure, policies and investment in place.

As electricity becomes cleaner, electrification offers a major route to cutting emissions across the wider energy system. Many electric alternatives to fossil-fuel technologies already exist and are becoming more competitive on cost. Electrification would also have very large energy efficiency benefits. Global energy demand could be halved by deploying electrification technologies that exist today. The problem is that millions of households, businesses and cities need to make investment decisions, but the electricity grids, regulations and policies they depend on are often not ready for rapid change.

The Oxford Martin Electrification Accelerator aims to give governments and industry a much clearer basis for action. It will identify where electrification is progressing, where it is being held back, and which combinations of policy, regulation and infrastructure are most effective in different contexts. 

The challenges vary sharply between countries: China has seen rapid growth in electric vehicles and heat pumps, India faces major cooling and transport needs, while Brazil already has a largely low-carbon electricity system but has made slower progress in switching transport, buildings and industry to electricity. By comparing what works in different countries, the programme will show which policies can be used elsewhere and which need to change to fit different economic, regulatory and energy systems. The goal is to reduce uncertainty, improve investment and policy decisions, and help countries put electrification into practice more quickly.

Electrification is not just a technical challenge. It also depends on policy, regulation, economics and governance, so the programme brings together expertise across these fields. The aim is to turn that combined understanding into practical guidance that helps governments and industry make better decisions and move faster away from fossil fuels.