BCG releases "What's Next for Alternative Energy?"
In California, the Boston Consulting Group released its report, titled What’s Next for Alternative Energy?.
The report examined seven of the most significant alternative-energy technologies, asking three key questions; 1) Can it achieve cost competitiveness with conventional energy by 2020 and be economically viable without subsidies? 2) Can it overcome barriers to rapid adoption once cost competitive? and 3) Can it reach penetration levels by 2025 that disrupt the status quo?
Key findings: Advanced biofuels, CSP, and solar PV will see accelerating adoption and growth and are on track to change the global energy mix far earlier than is often assumed. Their costs are falling rapidly, and they are on the path to becoming cost competitive within the next five to ten years, if not sooner.
In their briefing presentation, Boston Consulting’s report showed a price of $1.75/gal for lignocellulosic ethanol as early as 2012, largely as a result of a drop in the cost of enzymes. The message from the Boston Group is that biofuels will be viable without price supports in the next five to ten years, if not sooner.
Category: Research
