Electrical Grids and Storage Criteria

The Electrical Grids and Storage Criteria provide a framework for certifying bonds that finance the construction, upgrade, and operation of electricity transmission, distribution, and storage infrastructure. To be certified, assets must meet specific mitigation benchmarks—such as supporting renewable energy integration or operating within a decarbonising system—and satisfy a comprehensive adaptation and resilience checklist. The criteria cover a wide range of assets, from high-voltage transmission lines to battery storage facilities, and include detailed methodological notes for determining system eligibility based on grid emission factors or added generation capacity.

• The scope of the criteria encompasses the entire electrical network, including transmission and distribution systems from the highest voltage levels down to low voltage (LV) networks, as well as monitoring, control, and communication systems.
• Electrical energy storage assets are eligible if their sole purpose is to store and later return electrical energy, specifically including battery facilities (such as Lithium-ion, Vanadium redox flow, and Lead-acid) and compressed air, flywheel, or capacitor storage. Pumped Hydropower Storage is excluded as it is covered under separate Hydropower Criteria.
• Certain assets are automatically eligible for the mitigation component, including equipment that increases the use of renewable energy, sensors for forecasting renewable production, and transformers that comply with EU Regulation 548/2014 (or equivalent efficiency levels).
• All certified assets must undergo a climate risk and resilience assessment to identify physical hazards over their operational life, such as temperature rise, sea-level rises, and wildfires, and implement mitigation measures to ensure they are 'fit for purpose'.
• Supporting infrastructure is eligible for certification only if it is 'wholly dedicated' (defined as 100%) to eligible assets and projects, such as buildings used exclusively for housing maintenance equipment.

APA

Climate Bonds Initiative (2021). Electrical Grids and Storage Criteria. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/Grids%20Criteria%20May%202021_draft_LIVE.pdf

Chicago

Climate Bonds Initiative. Electrical Grids and Storage Criteria. 2021. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/Grids%20Criteria%20May%202021_draft_LIVE.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Bonds Initiative |title=Electrical Grids and Storage Criteria |date=May 2021 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/Grids%20Criteria%20May%202021_draft_LIVE.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatebondsinitiative2021electrical, author = {{Climate Bonds Initiative}}, title = {{Electrical Grids and Storage Criteria}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/Grids%20Criteria%20May%202021_draft_LIVE.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }