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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.

The report examines the state of Colombia's electricity transmission infrastructure in 2025, highlighting a critical gap between the rapid expansion of renewable energy generation and the slow deployment of the transmission grid. It details the regulatory structure of the National Interconnected System (SIN), the processes for capacity allocation, and the systemic delays in project execution caused by socio-environmental and licensing hurdles. The document warns that the system is approaching operational limits, with significant short-circuit capacity exhaustion and regional grid strain, particularly in the Caribbean area. It emphasizes the need to implement a strategic portfolio of 98 projects to ensure the energy transition and meet long-term demand projections.

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.

The document examines the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in overcoming the technical challenges of integrating variable renewable energy (VRE) in Southeast Asia. It highlights five commercially proven AI applications: improving forecast accuracy to reduce reserve needs, enabling predictive maintenance to extend asset life, optimising dispatch to lower balancing costs, providing real-time control for grid security, and supporting dynamic line rating (DLR) to increase transmission capacity. The report provides global case studies—including examples from Google DeepMind, Siemens, and various utilities in the US, UK, and Belgium—to demonstrate how AI can reduce operational costs, curtailment, and carbon footprints while enhancing the reliability of power grids facing high VRE penetration.

In 2025, India's renewable energy curtailment was primarily driven by transmission infrastructure mismatches and system-wide emergency conditions managed via Tertiary Reserve Ancillary Services (TRAS). While non-fossil fuel capacity reached 266.7 GW by December 2025, the gap between rapid project deployment and slower transmission construction led to significant energy loss, particularly for projects under temporary general network access (T-GNA). Emergency TRAS-down events, often triggered by demand forecasting errors, also caused notable curtailment, such as 93.3 GWh of solar output on 12 October 2025.

In 2025, India experienced significant solar curtailment, estimated at 2.3 TWh between late May and December, primarily due to the inability of the coal fleet to ramp down sufficiently during periods of low daytime demand. This was exacerbated by weaker-than-forecast demand growth in 2025, driven by mild temperatures and increased behind-the-meter solar generation. The report highlights that while operational errors in forecasting contributed to the issue, the structural lack of flexibility in coal plants—many of which must operate above a minimum thermal load of 55%—creates a systemic challenge as solar capacity continues to grow faster than demand.

The report argues that accelerating the deployment of non-conventional renewable energy sources (FNCER) in Colombia does not require structural legal reforms, as existing laws provide the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), the Energy and Gas Regulatory Commission (CREG), and the Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME) with sufficient powers to implement necessary changes. It provides a detailed roadmap of actionable recommendations across five strategic lines: efficient use of transmission capacity, modernization of reliability schemes, integration of synchronous condensers and thermal asset conversion, long-term contracting and auctions for FNCER, and adjustments to short-term market and dispatch rules. The document emphasizes that the primary challenge is the strategic and coordinated activation of existing administrative instruments—such as decrees, resolutions, and planning documents—rather than the creation of new laws.

Viet Nam, Indonesia, and the Philippines collectively drive nearly 60% of ASEAN’s power demand and emissions, with a heavy historical reliance on coal. While coal still dominates their energy mixes, all three nations are pivoting toward clean energy, attracting $4.6 billion in investment in 2024. Each country aims for renewables to exceed 50% of their installed capacity mix by 2030–2034. Viet Nam has led the region in new wind and solar generation, the Philippines operates a fully liberalised electricity market to attract FDI, and Indonesia is leveraging its mineral industrialisation to build an electric vehicle ecosystem while planning significant solar expansions.

Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Indonesia are transitioning from coal-reliant economies to renewable energy hotspots, collectively accounting for nearly 60% of ASEAN's power demand and emissions. While all three have set ambitious 2030 targets for renewables to exceed 50% of installed capacity, they face bottlenecks in permitting, grid infrastructure, and financial risk. The report highlights that solar-plus-battery integration significantly improves internal rates of return (IRR), particularly in Indonesia, and emphasizes the role of market reforms—such as Viet Nam's Direct Power Purchase Agreements and the Philippines' removal of foreign ownership restrictions—in attracting private capital.

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.

India is generally on track to meet its NEP 2032 capacity mix, with solar, hydro, and coal well-positioned to reach targets. However, onshore wind additions must accelerate, and nuclear capacity is likely to fall short due to long lead times and a limited near-term pipeline. Battery and pumped hydro storage are expanding rapidly to support renewables integration.

Spain has significantly lowered its wholesale electricity prices by decoupling them from volatile fossil fuel costs through the expansion of wind and solar capacity. In the first half of 2025, Spain's wholesale prices were 32% lower than the EU average, with the share of hours where prices were tied to gas costs dropping from 75% in 2019 to 19% in 2025. However, a blackout on April 28, 2025, led to a 'reinforced mode' of grid operation that increased reliance on gas for stability services. This resulted in the cost of grid balancing doubling in May 2025 and renewable curtailment tripling from 1.8% to 7.2% between May and July 2025. The report highlights a lag in investment in battery storage and grid-enhancing technologies, noting that Spain's 120 MW battery fleet is only the 13th largest in Europe despite being the 4th largest power market. To address this, Spain is implementing reforms, including adding eight synchronous compensators to the mainland grid and expanding its battery storage pipeline.

Mexico possesses world-leading solar resources that could technically supply 90% of its electricity when paired with battery storage. While reaching a 45% clean electricity target by 2030 could reduce US gas imports by 20%, a more ambitious 'solar superpower' scenario could eliminate these imports entirely. However, high local installation costs—38% higher for solar and nearly double for batteries compared to global averages—act as a significant barrier to this transition.

Türkiye's cooling-related electricity consumption reached 10 TWh in 2024, growing by 26% since 2022. This trend is shifting peak electricity demand from winter to summer, with the gap between summer and winter peaks widening to 9.1 GW by 2025. The report projects that cooling demand could reach 35 TWh by 2035, with peak hourly demand potentially hitting 85 GWh. To address this, the study recommends expanding distributed solar power, which aligns with peak cooling hours, implementing energy storage (including pumped-storage hydro), and improving data collection on air conditioner ownership to enhance demand forecasting.

Merchant BESS in India became financially viable in 2024 due to falling battery costs and increasing price volatility in the Day Ahead Market (DAM). The report finds that BESS can achieve internal rates of return (IRR) up to 24% by combining energy arbitrage with ancillary services, with shorter-duration systems (1-2 hours) currently offering better returns than 4-hour systems.

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 document argues that virtual power plants (VPPs), which aggregate decentralized energy resources (DERs) like rooftop solar and battery storage, can reduce the Caribbean's dependence on expensive imported fossil fuels and improve grid stability against climate-driven threats like hurricanes. Using the US Virgin Islands as a case study, the report evaluates the scalability of VPPs to provide energy, capacity, and ancillary services, offering recommendations for policymakers and utilities to transition toward cleaner, more resilient energy systems.

The report examines 26 state-level Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) submitted under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program, finding that most plans rely on generalities and high-cost incentives rather than sector-specific strategies. It argues that states must transition from high-level commitments to tailored, long-term roadmaps that prioritize cost-effective tools, such as operating-cost supports and regulatory standards, while leveraging co-benefits like public health improvements and workforce development to maintain American industrial competitiveness against international peers like China and the EU.

Batteries are scaling up rapidly in the US, supporting record solar growth and reducing reliance on gas and coal. In 2024, California and Nevada became the first states to exceed a 30% annual solar share. California's battery capacity grew nearly twentyfold between 2020 and 2024, allowing batteries to become the largest electricity source during evening hours in April 2024. Texas also saw significant growth, installing 3.9 GW of utility-scale battery capacity in 2024. Nationally, the US added 36 GW of new solar capacity in 2024, with 10 GW of utility-scale batteries added, reflecting a trend toward co-located solar-plus-battery projects.