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The report argues that clean flexibility solutions are ready to scale across the EU to replace fossil-based grid balancing. It projects a fourfold increase in battery capacity by 2030, which would allow batteries to deliver over 80% of the power that all EU gas plants combined can generate in a single hour. Additionally, the report highlights the role of smart EV charging and heat pumps in absorbing surplus renewable generation and reducing peak demand, provided that regulatory barriers are removed and smart meter rollout is accelerated.

The EU battery fleet is projected to grow fourfold from 37 GW in 2025 to 178 GW by 2030, significantly reducing the need for gas-based backup. By 2030, utility-scale batteries could provide short-term flexibility at 20% lower cost than new gas peakers. Additionally, the report highlights the role of demand flexibility: by 2030, 50% of electric vehicles (EVs) could use smart charging to absorb 7% of peak wind and solar generation, and 15% of heat pump demand could be shifted to high-renewable periods, reducing peak demand by 3%. The report recommends that policymakers avoid overbuilding gas capacity, set ambitious non-fossil flexibility targets by January 2027, and accelerate smart meter rollout to enable these technologies.

Germany possesses a strong pipeline of grid-scale and residential battery projects, but current policy frameworks and the preferential treatment of gas in upcoming capacity auctions risk slowing deployment. The report highlights that operationalizing the existing battery pipeline could have significantly reduced wind and solar curtailment and associated costs in 2025. It calls for a regulatory shift to treat batteries as a first-order solution for grid stability and flexibility.

RMI's analysis of more than 200 utility PIMs reveals a strong preference for 'upside-only' reward structures over penalties, with Return on Equity (ROE) and shared savings being the most common and highest-paying designs. While utilities consistently achieve targets for percentage adder-based and equity-focused PIMs, the report suggests that targets may be set too low. Most PIMs are short-term experiments lasting two to three years, except for fuel cost-sharing and distributed energy resource mechanisms, which often lack end dates to provide regulatory certainty.

The document advocates for demand-side flexibility in Canada to manage increasing electricity demand from electrification and AI data centers. It highlights that relying solely on new production capacity is costly and inefficient. By using tools like smart thermostats, EV charging management, and virtual power plants, the grid can reduce peak loads (peak shaving) or shift consumption to off-peak hours (load shifting). This approach benefits utilities by delaying infrastructure upgrades and benefits consumers through lower bills. The text cites successful pilot programs in Quebec, British Columbia, and Ontario, while urging federal and provincial governments to integrate demand flexibility into clean energy policies and regulations.

The report argues that flexible demand—the ability to shift or reduce electricity use during peak periods—can significantly lower system costs and defer expensive infrastructure upgrades in Canada. While some provinces like Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia are implementing demand-side management (DSM) programs, the report finds that these resources remain under-deployed due to outdated regulatory frameworks, misaligned financial incentives for utilities and consumers, and a tendency for planners to treat DSM as a passive load reduction rather than an active grid resource.

The report argues that high electricity prices, often inflated by policy-related levies, make heat pumps less cost-competitive than gas boilers despite their superior efficiency. It analyzes various policy levers—such as removing levies, reducing VAT, or implementing innovative tariffs—to lower the electricity-to-gas price ratio, which the European Heat Pump Association suggests should be no higher than 2 for competitiveness. The analysis highlights that the Netherlands, with the lowest price ratio (1.4), has significantly higher heat pump sales than countries like Germany, Poland, or Hungary, where ratios exceed 3.

The briefing outlines three primary policy areas to scale demand flexibility in Europe: accelerating smart meter rollout, implementing time-of-use tariffs, and removing barriers to automation and aggregation. It highlights the need for updated technical standards by 2026 and national objectives by 2027 to overcome slow implementation of EU rules.

Ember's response to the EU Electrification Action Plan call for evidence emphasizes that while technology readiness is not a barrier—with two-thirds of EU energy demand potentially electrifiable today—cost remains the primary obstacle. The organization urges the Commission to rebalance energy taxation, as industrial electricity taxes are on average triple those of gas, and to incentivize smart consumption through dynamic tariffs. Furthermore, Ember advocates for strategic grid planning and increased investment in energy storage and demand-side response to lower total system costs and integrate renewables.

The briefing challenges the notion that coal plants are necessary for grid reliability amidst a data center boom in the US. It asserts that coal plants are prone to unplanned outages, lack the ramp speed required for voltage-sensitive loads, and create grid congestion. The author suggests that over 95 percent of future demand can be met using scalable clean solutions such as battery storage and demand flexibility.

Ember proposes a comprehensive overhaul of European grid policy, arguing that electricity grids should be treated as strategic infrastructure for economic growth. Key recommendations include establishing a 'one-stop-shop' for financing, mandating independent and integrated infrastructure planning across energy carriers, and extending national planning horizons to 20 years. The briefing also advocates for a shift toward TOTEX-based regulatory approaches to incentivise flexibility and grid-enhancing technologies (GETs), alongside the standardisation of data sharing between transmission and distribution system operators to improve visibility of distributed assets and grid capacity.

The report investigates the factors behind the acceleration of coal power approvals in China between 2022 and 2024, including rising power demand and energy security concerns. It details China's strategy to maintain supply continuity through flexibility retrofits and carbon-reduction pilots while proposing a transition toward clean power generation and storage technologies to replace coal's role in system reliability.

The June–July 2025 heatwave in Europe increased electricity demand by up to 14% and caused average daily power prices to double or triple in several countries. While record solar generation of 45 TWh in June 2025 helped maintain daytime stability, the heatwave triggered thermal power plant outages, particularly affecting France's nuclear fleet. The report argues for the deployment of battery storage, interconnection, and demand flexibility to mitigate future extreme weather risks.

The report argues that proactive grid planning is essential for Europe to meet its goal of tripling data centre capacity and capturing the economic benefits of AI. It highlights a shift in investment from traditional hubs (FLAP-D markets) to regions with lower grid congestion, such as the Nordics and Southern Europe. The analysis suggests that innovative connection agreements, data centre flexibility, and strategic spatial planning can significantly reduce connection wait times and infrastructure costs.

The document argues that the current NECP process suffers from incomplete Member State reporting, outdated reporting categories, and poor data accessibility. It recommends that the European Commission enforce full reporting through 2050, expand the reporting template to include electrification rates, energy storage, demand-side flexibility, and grid planning, and mandate digital submissions to create a single, publicly available data source.

Analysis of EU National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) indicates a structural shift toward a cleaner, electrified economy, with gas demand projected to fall by 7% by 2030. The EU is targeting a 30% electrification rate and a 66% share of renewables in electricity generation by 2030. While solar targets are achievable and potentially conservative compared to market outlooks, wind targets face significant implementation challenges due to grid and permitting bottlenecks. The report recommends that the European Commission enforce more comprehensive and digitally accessible reporting for future NECP cycles.

Ember's response to the ERAA 2025 consultation highlights significant discrepancies between ENTSO-E's proposed commodity prices and market futures, noting that fossil fuel prices are underestimated while CO2 prices are overestimated. The document argues that the ERAA underestimates battery storage and demand flexibility potential, fails to account for battery CAPEX reductions, and underestimates wind and solar capacities in several European countries compared to National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) and industry forecasts.

In 2024, the EU's electricity transition continued with solar power overtaking coal for the first time and gas generation declining for the fifth consecutive year. Renewables reached a 47% share of the power sector in 2024, up from 34% in 2019, while fossil fuels dropped to a historic low of 29%. This shift reduced power sector emissions to less than half of their 2007 peak and avoided €59 billion in fossil fuel imports since the start of the European Green Deal. Despite this momentum, the report argues that wind power deployment and grid infrastructure must accelerate to meet 2030 targets.

In 2024, the EU experienced record growth in solar generation and capacity, with all member states seeing increases. However, the rapid expansion has led to more frequent zero or negative power prices and wider intraday price spreads. To manage this and maintain the trajectory toward 2030 targets, the report advocates for the accelerated rollout of clean flexibility tools, specifically battery storage, smart electrification, and grid modernization.

The document examines how current electricity rate designs in the U.S. often overcharge heat pump users because their peak demand occurs in winter, while grid peaks typically occur in summer. Using data from NIPSCO in Northern Indiana, the brief demonstrates that aligning rates with the actual cost of service could save electrified customers hundreds of dollars annually. It proposes several rate reform options—including seasonal heating rates, time-varying rates, and separate customer classes—while emphasizing the need for affordability measures for low-income households and the long-term evolution of rates as the grid transitions to clean energy.