Potential Impacts of Global Climate Change on Power and Energy Generation

Climate change and climate variability is receiving much attention recently because it has significant effects on our power and energy sector and therefore on the socio-economic activities of the society especially in a developing country such as Nigeria. Approach: The aim of the study is to examine the influence of climate change on power generation. Literatures were identified for review through a comprehensive search by using electronic and non-electronic databases. Related published literature and documents were searched in a systematic way using a range of key words relating to climate change impacts and energy. Results: The literature review indicates that climate change undermine power and energy production by increasingly depleting renewable and non-renewable sources, creating resources scarcity as well as damage to infrastructure. The review also indicate that climate change undermine environmental dimensions by increasing sea-level rise, extreme weather events and land degradation and pollution. Conclusion: In reducing climate-induced threats on power sector, efforts should be geared towards ensuring that our energy sector withstand the changes to our climate that are already underway by optimizing energy mix, developing low carbon and renewable energy, formulating relevant law and regulations and promoting technology advancement and economic engineering.