Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk said fossil fuels will be necessary “in the short-term” for mankind to have the energy it needs, but swung firmly behind renewable energy, and in particular offshore wind, in an interview at ONS 2022
Speaking during the opening ceremony at the ONS 2022 gathering in Norway 29 August, Mr Musk said, “We must have a clear path to a sustainable energy future.” He cited offshore wind, wind energy in general and solar as ‘energies of the future,’ highlighting what he described as offshore wind’s “massive potential.”
Mr Musk said renewables such as wind and solar energy need to be combined with storage “to buffer the energy they produce.” He said the three paths of sustainable energy were “generation – which is wind, solar, hydro, geothermal – plus storage and electric vehicles.”
Mr Musk went on to say, “I’m not someone who tends to demonise oil and gas. It’s necessary now or civilisation couldn’t function. At this time, we need more oil and gas, but are simultaneously moving as fast as we can to a sustainable energy economy.”
Mr Musk referenced words spoken minutes earlier in an address in the opening ceremony when the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, said the country “intends to play a key role in the transition,” and would create an effective value chain for offshore wind and green hydrogen.
“We live in the energy age,” said the Prime Minister. “We are heading to offshore wind, green hydrogen and solar. One chapter of the energy age is bringing on another.”
He also reiterated his commitment to 30 GW of offshore wind by 2040 and said the government would initiate a tender for Norway’s first offshore windfarms “in a few months.”
Responding, Mr Musk welcomed Norway’s commitment to offshore wind, but said he would like an even greater commitment. “I though the words of the Prime Minister were spot on,” said Mr Musk. “I’m glad to hear that there is a large effort for offshore wind… but I would go even further.”
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