Unlocking a Renewable Energy Future: How Government Action Can Drive Private Investment

This working paper, produced by the World Resources Institute in partnership with Ørsted, examines the barriers preventing private sector investment in renewable energy and proposes policy solutions for governments to accelerate the energy transition.

• While renewable energy technology is cost-effective and available globally, current deployment rates are insufficient to prevent the most severe effects of climate change. Because the energy transition will be primarily funded by the private sector—including investment funds, corporations, project developers, and utility companies—governments must collaborate with these entities to eliminate barriers and create incentives for investment.
• The decarbonization of the global electricity supply is hindered by three primary categories of challenges: inadequate or incompatible grid infrastructure, a lack of public support for the siting of renewable energy developments, and market structures that do not provide the necessary incentives to trigger private investment in new projects.
• Governments can scale renewable energy capacity by implementing regulatory frameworks and policy solutions. Key priorities include investing in infrastructure and modern electricity grids, improving permitting and planning processes while addressing community concerns, and establishing market instruments, policies, and renewable energy targets that de-risk and incentivize green energy investments.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Unlocking a Renewable Energy Future: How Government Action Can Drive Private Investment. https://www.wri.org/research/unlocking-renewable-energy-future-how-government-action-can-drive-private-investment

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Unlocking a Renewable Energy Future: How Government Action Can Drive Private Investment. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/unlocking-renewable-energy-future-how-government-action-can-drive-private-investment.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Unlocking a Renewable Energy Future: How Government Action Can Drive Private Investment |url=https://www.wri.org/research/unlocking-renewable-energy-future-how-government-action-can-drive-private-investment |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendunlocking, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Unlocking a Renewable Energy Future: How Government Action Can Drive Private Investment}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/unlocking-renewable-energy-future-how-government-action-can-drive-private-investment}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }