Power Sector Growth without Liquefied Natural Gas

This RMI research brief argues that prioritizing renewable energy over liquefied natural gas (LNG) for electricity system expansion in the Global South can reduce costs and risks, using South Africa and Vietnam as illustrative case studies.

• While natural gas was previously viewed as a priority for low-cost generation expansion to meet global needs for energy access and economic growth, it now faces challenges due to the global energy crisis and the rising competitiveness of renewable energy.
• Case studies of South Africa and Vietnam demonstrate that prioritizing near-term investment in renewable energy can result in lower costs and risks than relying on new gas power plants that necessitate new LNG import capacity.
• The document suggests that imported LNG will likely play a much smaller role in affordable global grid expansion than previously assumed, prompting a need for decision makers to reassess planned investments in gas power and LNG capacity.

APA

RMI (2022). Power Sector Growth without Liquefied Natural Gas. https://rmi.org/resources/power-sector-growth-without-liquefied-natural-gas/

Chicago

RMI. Power Sector Growth without Liquefied Natural Gas. 2022. https://rmi.org/resources/power-sector-growth-without-liquefied-natural-gas/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Power Sector Growth without Liquefied Natural Gas |date=2 November 2022 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/power-sector-growth-without-liquefied-natural-gas/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2022power, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Power Sector Growth without Liquefied Natural Gas}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/power-sector-growth-without-liquefied-natural-gas/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }