Can blockchain technology shape an energy system transformation that will benefit developing countries?

With environmental movements such as Fridays for Future, environmental protection and sustainability are becoming more and more conscious. Not only the ever-increasing temperatures and rising sea levels pose a growing problem for the agriculture and labour production of some countries; the increasingly polluted soils and seas are also problems. Problems that mostly affect developing countries. They are often the destination of the gigantic amounts of waste produced by rich countries. In these countries, resources are mined, and production is outsourced. Often, however, they lack the appropriate means to deal with the problems adequately, especially since it is the demand from less affected countries that is responsible for the bad circumstances. Paolo Davide Farah and Marek Prityi, in their paper "Public Administration in the Age of Globalization and Emerging Technologies: From Theories to Practice", wrote about the crucial role blockchain technology can play for developing countries. They also address the importance of blockchain technology for energy system transformation, which can indirectly benefit developing countries. In doing so, they drew attention to an important aspect for energy system transformation in richer countries and the development of poorer regions with energy. Even today, billions of people in rural and remote regions have no access to electricity. If access does exist, the supply is often insufficient or not continuous. In order for these areas to develop sustainably, it is important to ensure a reliable supply. Microgrids can generate, distribute, and control electricity on a small scale using new technology such as blockchain as a central system. The electricity is generated locally, and as a closed system, offers special protection against security risks. In conjunction with the partly optimal conditions for renewable energies in such countries, economic and climate-friendly benefits can be derived. The approach of Farah and Prityi on Smart Contracts is particularly interesting in this context. It enables the communities to be completely independent from additional institutions. Smart Contracts will automatically shoot themselves in the system as soon as certain conditions are met. If you add a blockchain based crypto currency to the system, energy can be traded fast, uncomplicated and above all cheap. In contrast to centralized energy systems, the system with microgrids increases the participation of people. Farah and Prityi rightly point out, however, that it is questionable whether microgrids can compete economically with conventional systems. However, microgrids offer advantages that a centralized system does not, and thus offer interesting new possibilities. The independence gained would contribute significantly to the quality of life and development in many remote and poor regions. Moreover, it should not be overlooked that countries that currently still enjoy a well-developed infrastructure and sufficient energy supply can also benefit from developments in this area in the long term. Indeed, they offer more efficient and climate-friendly and thus more sustainable solutions. It is therefore advisable for everyone to familiarize themselves with the subject. Farah and Prityi offer a good overview of further fields of application and possibilities for the global society and the importance of the blockchain technology, in a still rather unknown area.

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