The 36th edition of the International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation, and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems (ECOS) commenced yesterday at the Gran Canaria Conference Centre. This conference will gather 400 renowned national and international researchers to engage in discussions about the challenges and latest advancements in the fields of renewable energies and the energy transition, at regional, national, and global levels.
The conference will focus on various key topics, including the sustainability of natural resources in the energy transition process, energy efficiency and storage, energy planning, and the water-energy nexus. Researchers involved in the conference have issued a press release warning that the decline in oil availability and subsequent increase in its cost will make it “unthinkable” and “unsustainable” for residents of the Canary Islands to travel between islands or to the mainland at reduced prices. They also highlight that this situation could potentially jeopardize the 75% discount currently offered to residents.
Given this imminent scenario, the experts advocate for a change in the economic model of the Canary Islands. Their vision is for the region to ultimately produce all of its energy, not just electricity, from renewable sources, while ensuring the sustainability of its natural resources. Alongside this shift in the economic model, they propose the need to critically evaluate and reconsider the transportation system in the archipelago. This could even involve contemplating the possibility of reducing or eliminating air transport in the future due to the significant levels of CO2 emissions and other harmful substances released by aircraft.
