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This report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) analyzes the potential for repurposing abandoned and soon-to-be-closed surface coal mines into solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants. It argues that these sites are ideal for solar development due to their existing proximity to grid infrastructure and the need for land reclamation, offering a pathway to align clean energy goals with local job creation and environmental restoration.

The report finds that Türkiye has a baseline hybrid solar potential of 8 GW at existing wind and hydroelectric sites, which could increase to 25.6 GW under more optimistic economic conditions. Dammed hydroelectric plants offer the highest potential due to their location in high-solar regions like the Mediterranean and Eastern Anatolia. Implementing this capacity could significantly increase the share of renewables in the electricity mix and mitigate the impact of drought-induced hydroelectric generation losses.

Türkiye is facing significant grid connection bottlenecks, with 65% of unlicensed solar project applications rejected between February 2024 and April 2025. Hybrid solar plants, which share existing transmission lines with wind or hydroelectric facilities, offer a way to bypass these constraints without new grid investments. The report estimates a baseline hybrid solar potential of 8 GW, which could increase to 25.6 GW under more favorable economic conditions. Implementing these systems could raise total solar capacity to 30 GW and mitigate the impact of climate-induced droughts on hydroelectric generation.

Global Energy Monitor identifies a significant opportunity to install nearly 300 GW of solar capacity on surface coal mines closed since 2020 or expected to close by 2030. These sites are highly suitable due to their proximity to existing grid infrastructure and the fact that they are already cleared of vegetation. While China leads in operational conversions, substantial potential exists in Australia, Indonesia, India, and the United States. The transition could create over 570,000 total jobs (permanent and temporary), potentially offsetting global coal mining job losses by 2035. However, challenges include complex land ownership, higher capital costs for remediation compared to greenfield sites, and the need for regulatory frameworks to ensure a just transition for local communities.

The report highlights that hybrid solar capacity in Turkey reached 510 MW by 2024, pushing total solar capacity to 12.2 GW and surpassing wind capacity. It emphasizes the role of wind-solar hybrids in stabilizing production and identifies a significant project pipeline of 1.9 GW. The document also explores the potential for floating solar on hydroelectric reservoirs, estimating a 17 GW potential across five major dams.

The document highlights that the steel industry contributes nearly 10 percent of global carbon emissions and 17 percent of China's emissions, positioning clean hydrogen-based steelmaking as a potential zero-carbon solution. It notes that while Europe provides government funding across various project stages, China focuses on high-level policies for R&D, alliances, and capacity replacement.

The analysis identifies significant potential for hydrogen adoption in Estonia's transport, industrial, energy, and building sectors. Under an ambitious scenario by 2050, Estonia could avoid 2.2 to 4.4 million tonnes of CO2 emissions and create up to 42,432 jobs, requiring total investments between 22.4 and 44.7 billion euros. The report highlights shipping and rail transport as high-potential areas due to technology maturity and high energy demand, while suggesting that ammonia and methanol production could turn Estonia from an importer to an exporter. Achieving these goals would require substantial increases in renewable electricity capacity, potentially doubling current demand projections, and a comprehensive national hydrogen strategy to coordinate regulatory and financial support.

The document provides a framework for city governments to prioritize greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction actions. It develops a typology of urban-scale technologies and practices, identifies supporting policies, and evaluates their abatement potential for 2020 and 2050, with a particular focus on the transport and buildings sectors.

Florida has the potential to generate an additional 40,000 GWh of electricity from renewable resources by the mid-term (through 2025), which would represent approximately 20 percent of current electricity sales. The document identifies biomass and solar PV as the primary contributors to this potential and argues that while renewable and conventional power options have comparable total costs for new generation, renewables offer superior performance regarding water use, air quality, and climate impacts. To achieve these goals, the document recommends establishing a renewable electricity standard (RES) with a target of 20 percent by 2020, providing financial incentives for third-party production, and improving grid infrastructure and permitting processes.

Mississippi has the potential to generate over 52,000 GWh of electricity from renewable resources, exceeding its total current electricity sales. The document advocates for a renewable electricity standard (RES) targeting 25 percent by 2025, alongside financial incentives and grid infrastructure improvements.

North Carolina has the potential to generate an additional 52,000 GWh of electricity from renewable resources, which would represent approximately 40 percent of current electricity sales. The document identifies biomass, solar PV, onshore wind, and low-impact hydro as key resources, noting that while total costs for new generation are comparable between renewable and conventional options, renewables provide superior outcomes for water use, air quality, and climate impacts. To achieve these goals, the document recommends establishing a renewable electricity standard (RES) with a target of 25 percent by 2025, alongside financial incentives and grid infrastructure improvements.

Tennessee has the potential to generate an additional 45,500 GWh of electricity from renewable resources by 2025, which would represent approximately 40 percent of current electricity sales. The document recommends establishing a renewable electricity standard (RES) with a target of 25 percent by 2025, alongside financial incentives and grid infrastructure improvements.

Spain has a significant geological storage potential of 12 to 44 Gt of CO2, which could support the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industrial sectors such as chemicals, steel, and refineries. While the government's Long-Term Decarbonization Strategy acknowledges the need for CCS in sectors like cement production, the document argues that a lack of concrete national plans and regulatory frameworks creates a competitive vulnerability for Spanish industry as EU Emission Trading System prices rise. A detailed case study of the Ebro Basin indicates that CCS deployment there could mitigate 4.42 MtCO2/year by 2050 and create over 100,000 jobs. The document recommends that Spain prioritize funding for pilot projects, clarify permitting responsibilities between national and regional governments, and develop a comprehensive national carbon management strategy to foster low-carbon industrial clusters.

The document examines the implementation of demand aggregation for solar rooftop PV systems in two Indian industrial clusters to support the clean energy transition of the MSME sector.