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The report argues that while next-generation geothermal has vast potential to provide clean firm power, its growth is hindered by a 'missing middle' financing gap, subsurface uncertainty, and outdated regulatory frameworks. It proposes five deployment levers: characterizing subsurface resources through data digitization and mapping, governing through streamlined permitting and clarified property rights, financing via procurement standards and convertible loans, connecting through improved transmission planning and workforce development, and innovating through sustained R&D and testbeds.

A national analysis comparing two futures for U.S. electricity demand growth through 2030 finds that a clean energy approach is significantly cheaper than a fossil fuel-heavy one. Relying on fossil fuels would add $29.7 billion annually to customer bills by 2030, whereas a clean energy scenario would reduce overall costs by $5.1 billion annually compared to the high fossil scenario. Furthermore, clean energy provides a hedge against price shocks; in a scenario similar to the 2022 price spike, clean energy would yield total savings of $13.5 billion per year compared to fossil fuel reliance.

Spain's strategic investment in wind and solar power has significantly reduced the influence of gas on electricity prices, keeping power costs among the lowest in the EU during the 2026 energy crisis. While high gas prices caused spikes in other European markets like Italy, Spanish consumers benefited from a decoupling effect that saved a typical household approximately €10 per month. The report also highlights policy responses following the April 2025 Iberian blackout, including reforms to battery storage and grid management, and temporary tax cuts to encourage electrification and reduce fossil fuel import dependency.

The policy brief outlines how western US states can unlock next-generation geothermal energy—which uses advanced drilling and stimulation to access deeper heat sources than conventional hydrothermal systems—to provide carbon-free firm capacity. It identifies five critical policy levers: improving subsurface data availability, streamlining regulatory processes, providing early-stage financing, integrating projects into transmission and procurement frameworks, and sustaining R&D innovation. The author emphasizes that regional coordination among states is essential to overcome transmission constraints and build investor confidence.

The report advocates for reconductoring as a primary solution to the U.S. energy grid's capacity crisis, which currently stalls 2,500 GW of clean energy projects. By replacing traditional steel-core cables with advanced composite conductors, the grid can double its transfer capacity at less than half the cost of building new lines, with installation times of 18-36 months compared to 10-15 years for new construction. The document highlights the potential for $180 billion in system savings by 2050 and a 3-4% reduction in wholesale electricity costs. It details technical improvements, such as trapezoidal wires and carbon-fiber cores, and cites successful implementations in Texas, Nevada, California, and Minnesota, as well as international adoption in Europe and Asia. The report concludes by urging policymakers to support legislation like the High-Capacity Grid Act and the REWIRE Act to incentivize the adoption of these technologies.

The document examines the role of cost tracker mechanisms in US utility expenditure recovery, noting that while they reduce financial risk for utilities, their overutilization can weaken cost-containment incentives and increase energy burdens for households. It recommends that regulators revisit the rationale for these trackers, retire unnecessary ones, and implement guardrails to improve transparency and review processes.

The report analyzes power outage data from 2014 to 2024 in the central United States, specifically the MISO+ region, finding that all of the 100 worst outage days were caused by extreme weather. It highlights that the 10 most severe events occurred after 2020 and were often compound disasters, such as hurricanes combined with flooding or winter storms with tornadoes. The document argues that climate change is intensifying these risks—increasing the frequency of derechos, the rainfall of hurricanes, and the potential for severe winter outbreaks—while disproportionately impacting socially vulnerable communities. It recommends that utilities, states, and regional operators implement comprehensive climate risk assessments, accelerate the clean energy transition, and engage in meaningful community partnership to build a resilient grid.

The report argues that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is undermining national energy security and economic competitiveness by canceling billions in congressionally mandated funding for clean energy and industrial innovation. It details the loss of approximately $23 billion in federal funding across 648 projects, affecting sectors such as carbon capture, hydrogen, and grid resiliency. The document highlights that these cuts risk wasting previous federal R&D investments, destroying local jobs, and ceding technological leadership to global competitors like China and Canada.

The We Mean Business Coalition supports the development of a fossil-fuel roadmap for COP30, arguing that such a framework can provide the clarity on targets and timelines necessary for long-term corporate investment. The Coalition emphasizes that for the roadmap to be effective, it must prioritize clean electrification, grid modernization, the removal of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, and a co-developed process that addresses the differing needs of the Global North and South to ensure a just transition.

The document highlights the rapid global growth of solar energy, noting a 31% jump in generation in the first half of 2025 and its cost-effectiveness compared to fossil fuels. It advises journalists to move past 'alternative energy' framing, treat intermittency as a manageable issue rather than a fundamental obstacle, and be skeptical of 'weird solar' innovations that cannot compete with mass-produced panels. The guide also provides specific examples of solar applications, from agrivoltaics in Illinois to mini-grids in Nigeria and resilience hubs in Houston.

The report argues that interconnectors are critical for European energy security, having prevented three major blackouts in the last five years and providing a lifeline to Ukraine and Moldova during Russian aggression. It highlights that 55% of Europe's power system remains at risk due to limited import options, with Spain, Ireland, and Finland being particularly exposed. The document also details the vulnerability of infrastructure to sabotage, citing nine incidents in the Baltic Sea, and calls for accelerated deployment of new capacity and strengthened security measures to protect the grid from hybrid warfare.

The document asserts that blackouts are predominantly caused by infrastructure failure, human error, and extreme weather, rather than the deployment of variable renewables. It highlights a significant investment gap in electricity grids, noting that while renewable energy investment has more than doubled since 2015, grid investment has only grown by 24%. The briefing argues that modernising grids with storage, interconnections, and decentralised generation can enhance adequacy, operational security, and resilience, including 'black start' capabilities. However, the IEA warns that grids risk becoming the "weak link" in the energy transition due to underinvestment in ageing assets and the inability to keep pace with rising global electricity demand.

The report advocates for 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) as a mechanism to ensure a just energy transition. By requiring corporations to match their electricity consumption with carbon-free generation on an hourly and local basis, 24/7 CFE incentivizes a diverse portfolio of energy resources beyond just wind and solar, including next-generation 'clean firm' technologies. This approach is presented as a way to create high-quality, permanent jobs for dislocated fossil fuel workers, reduce local air pollution, and enhance grid resilience. The document aligns 24/7 CFE with the G20's Just and Inclusive Energy Transition (JIET) Compact and provides best practices for corporate buyers to maximize social and economic benefits through community engagement and equitable hiring.

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.

The report evaluates renewable energy options for a municipal water station in Ukraine serving 400,000 residents. It compares 100% decentralised systems (PV+Battery vs. Wind+Battery) and feasible grid-connected hybrid systems, finding that while wind is more cost-effective, solar PV is the only viable on-site installation due to space constraints. For heating, water-to-water heat pumps are identified as the optimal solution. The report also maps international financing opportunities from institutions like the EBRD, EIB, and World Bank to support implementation.

The document examines the role of distributed energy systems (DES) in enhancing energy sovereignty for First Nations in New Brunswick. It highlights the Amlamgog (Fort Folly) First Nation's progress in solar energy and energy efficiency, while arguing that New Brunswick's highly regulated electricity market—dominated by NB Power—creates significant obstacles to the large-scale adoption of community-led DES. The report recommends creating a 'regulatory sandbox' and updating the Electricity Act to allow for more flexible energy production and retail models, citing successful Indigenous-led projects in Yukon, British Columbia, and Alberta as models for transition.

The document explores how distributed energy systems (DES)—technologies that generate and store energy near the point of use—can be implemented by First Nations in New Brunswick to achieve energy sovereignty. It highlights Amlamgog (Fort Folly First Nation) as a leader in this transition, noting its installation of 112 kW of solar capacity and its goal of becoming a net-zero energy community. However, the report identifies significant regulatory barriers, as the New Brunswick Electricity Act grants NB Power a dominant position and restricts the sale of electricity. The author argues that if all 15 First Nation communities in the province adopted community-scale DES, it would provide a capacity margin equivalent to a moderately-sized power plant, improving grid stability during extreme weather events. The document recommends establishing a 'regulatory sandbox' in Amlamgog, amending the Electricity Act to support Indigenous-led projects, and developing a robust business case for the net benefits of DES to ratepayers.

The report examines the vulnerabilities of the US power grid to climate change, highlighting how extreme heat, wildfires, winter storms, and hurricanes cause widespread outages. It argues that current planning focuses on reliability under typical conditions rather than resilience to high-impact, low-frequency events. The authors emphasize that structural inequities, such as the legacy of redlining, leave low-income communities and people of color disproportionately vulnerable to the life-threatening consequences of power loss. The document recommends that regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) adopt forward-looking climate risk assessments, integrate energy justice principles, and reform economic metrics like the Value of Lost Load (VOLL) to prioritize human vulnerability over economic activity.

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.

Holy Cross Energy is implementing a strategy to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030 through the deployment of distributed lithium-ion battery storage. By leveraging a $11 million USDA Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP) loan and Inflation Reduction Act direct pay tax credits, the cooperative has established the Power+ program, which provides on-bill financing for residential battery packs. This system allows the utility to perform energy arbitrage and peak shaving, reducing reliance on expensive natural-gas peaker plants while providing members with backup power during extreme weather and wildfires.