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The document explores five supply-side pathways to reach 100 percent zero carbon power in the U.S. by 2035. It argues that while the final 10 percent of decarbonization is the most expensive, it can be achieved at a cost that keeps average wholesale rates similar to the 2020 average of 5.2 cents/kWh. The analyzed pathways include three green hydrogen options (fuel cells, turbine retrofits, and synthetic methane) and two carbon capture options (CCS retrofits and Direct Air Capture). The report highlights that green hydrogen production costs could drop to $1.50/kg by 2030 due to falling solar and wind costs and cheaper electrolyzers.

The document describes the use of NREL's Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) and RMI's internal dispatch model to evaluate the technical feasibility and cost of four electricity scenarios: Maintain, Migrate, Renew, and Transform. It outlines spatial and temporal resolutions, generation cost assumptions based on learning curve theory, and specific modifications made to approximate distributed energy resources in the Transform case.

The paper investigates whether advanced composite bodies-in-white (BIW) can be affordable for mass production, using the GM Ultralite as a case study. It employs Technical Cost Modeling to compare a composite monocoque with a steel unibody across manufacturing, operation, and post-use phases. The analysis finds that while material costs for carbon fiber are high, they can be offset by significantly lower tooling and equipment costs, especially when using 'soft' composite tooling and rapid-curing technologies. The study concludes that composite BIWs can be cost-competitive with steel at carbon-fiber prices around $11/kg ($5/lb) with modest mass reductions, and are already more competitive in total lifecycle costs at production volumes below 75,000 units per year.