Why renewable energy needs new electrical standards

(May 2025) Have you ever wondered why a 60-watt lightbulb from any brand fits in the same socket? Or why your kitchen appliances don’t catch fire the moment you plug them in? The answer is standards—common rules that keep entire industries safe, compatible, and moving forward.

The energy landscape is changing. Unlike traditional power grids, which rely on large plants like hydro dams or coal stations, modern grids integrate electricity from solar farms, rooftop panels, offshore wind turbines, and millions of lithium-ion batteries. This shift to renewables is far more complex—and it demands new standards to keep the system reliable.

That’s where the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) comes in. Working with industry leaders—including many new players—the IEC is defining the rules that will help green energy power our future.

“The IEC was founded in 1906 to ensure safety, interoperability, and compatibility,” says Jo Cops, President of the IEC, in an interview with Transform Talks. “But with sustainability now a global priority, we’ve expanded to cover wind, solar, and emerging technologies.”

Cops recently attended IEC 2025, the Electrical Standardization (Chilin) Forum in Nanjing, China, where policymakers and industry leaders gathered to shape the future. “These conversations are critical,” he notes. “Only by working together can we build a carbon-free world.”