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On-bill financing allows participants to make monthly repayments for energy upgrades through their existing utility bills. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) advocates for program designs that prioritize equity and accessibility for households typically excluded from energy efficiency initiatives. Beyond energy efficiency, these programs can be applied to distributed solar, community solar, and battery storage.

In 2024, the United States had more than 4,085,300 climate jobs, with clean energy job creation outpacing fossil fuel job creation. Energy efficiency was the largest sector, supporting nearly 2.4 million jobs, while renewable energy supported 596,100 jobs, dominated by solar and wind. Clean energy storage and grid modernization supported 160,300 jobs. Clean vehicle employment fell by 3% between 2023 and 2024, though renewable fuels remained steady. The adaptation and resilience industry grew by 18% to $4.8 billion in 2024, despite a lack of formal tracking by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Federal legislation including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) significantly drove investment, although some incentives were weakened or eliminated in 2025.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 introduced "direct pay" (or "elective pay"), allowing tax-exempt entities—such as nonprofits, state and local governments, and tribal governments—to receive direct payments from the IRS in lieu of tax credits for clean energy investments. Eligible credits include a 30% base credit for solar and battery storage, credits for commercial electric vehicles up to $40,000, and credits for alternative fuel infrastructure. Additional bonuses are available for projects in "energy communities," those using "domestic content," or those qualifying for the Low-Income Community Tax Credit. The process involves pre-registering with the IRS and filing specific tax forms, with a total timeline ranging from four to 18 months.

The 'Switch It Up!' program, launched in April 2019 by the Orcas Power and Light Cooperative (OPALCO), provides debt-free, on-bill financing for residential and commercial members to replace fossil-fuel equipment with electric alternatives. Funded initially by a $5.8 million USDA Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP) loan and later supplemented by an additional $15 million, the program covers air-source heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and EV charging stations, with borrowing limits up to $36,000. Repayments are tied to the electric meter over up to 10 years at a 2% interest rate, removing barriers for low- and moderate-income households. In its first year, the program completed 96 projects totaling over $800,000, with plans to expand into rooftop solar, battery storage, and community solar projects.

The 2026 Global Electricity Review reports that in 2025, clean energy growth—driven primarily by solar power—met 100% of new global electricity demand, resulting in the first year since 2020 where fossil fuel generation did not increase. For the first time in the modern era, renewables exceeded coal, accounting for over one-third of global electricity generation. This shift was significantly influenced by declines in fossil fuel generation in China and India, both of which saw decreases in 2025. Solar energy's growth was 18 times greater than that of gas, and the deployment of battery storage is increasingly supporting the transition to 24/7 clean power, with countries like Chile and Australia leading in grid-scale storage.

The document describes the methodology for the Indian States’ Electricity Transition analysis, which evaluates 16 states representing approximately 90% of India's annual power requirement. The analysis uses 17 parameters across four dimensions: Decarbonisation, Performance of the Power System, Readiness of the Power Ecosystem, and Policies and Political Commitments. Data for financial year 2021-22 was primarily sourced from government entities such as the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and NITI Aayog, then normalised and weighted by sectoral experts to produce state-wise scores.

The report evaluates 16 Indian states on their electricity transition across four dimensions: decarbonisation, power system performance, ecosystem readiness, and policy commitments. Karnataka is identified as the top performer across all dimensions, while states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are urged to ramp up efforts. The analysis highlights that many renewable-rich states have significant untapped potential and recommends improving data transparency, strengthening transmission infrastructure, and expanding green market mechanisms to accelerate the transition.

The document argues that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will negatively impact the U.S. economy by increasing energy bills and reducing GDP. To counter this, it urges state governments to accelerate the procurement and permitting of wind and solar projects to ensure they qualify for federal investment tax credits (ITC) and production tax credits (PTC) before the December 31, 2027 deadline, specifically noting a 'safe harbor' eligibility for projects beginning construction by July 4, 2026.

The California Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) indicates that a 55 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 is achievable without new technologies and would generate significant economic and social benefits. The scenario projects a $55.4 billion increase in state GDP, the creation of 235,000 total jobs, and the avoidance of 1,829 premature deaths by 2030. Achieving this target requires accelerating the deployment of electrification, hydrogen, and carbon capture in industry, as well as reaching 90% clean energy for grid-scale generation by 2030.

A fact sheet analyzing 210 U.S. coal plants, finding that 99% are more expensive to operate than replacing them with new wind or solar. It highlights the potential for $589 billion in investment in energy communities and the feasibility of integrating battery storage to maintain grid reliability.

Analysis shows that the weighted average cost of coal power in the U.S. rose from $36/MWh in 2021 to $46/MWh in 2024, a 28 percent increase that outpaced inflation. This rise is attributed to higher fuel, operations, and maintenance costs, as well as declining capacity factors. Despite these economics, some U.S. federal policies and state regulators have extended the lives of expensive plants, such as Plant Bowen in Georgia and the Hunter and Huntington plants in Utah, potentially increasing the financial burden on electricity consumers.

The document finds that reaching an 85% clean electricity target by 2030 is feasible and reliable for California, even under most simultaneous stress conditions. Analysis indicates that while solar and battery storage are primary drivers, a diverse portfolio including offshore wind and geothermal reduces dependence on imports and gas. Battery storage specifically reduces the 'duck curve' ramping requirements by an average of 42%. While the state can retire nearly a third of its in-state gas fleet under certain conditions, some gas remains necessary for reliability unless replaced by comparable firm clean resources. The study emphasizes that sharing power with the rest of the Western United States is more optimal than a 'go it alone' approach.

The report advocates for the creation of a 'Comanche Energy Park' in Pueblo, Colorado, to replace the retiring Comanche coal plant by 2031. This strategy involves a diversified portfolio of wind, solar, and battery storage paired with 'flexible' industrial technologies like thermal batteries and hydrogen electrolyzers. The goal is to provide a reliable, clean electricity supply while stimulating local economic growth and maintaining property tax revenues without placing the full financial burden on Xcel Energy customers.

The report argues that the United States can leverage its vast offshore wind potential to provide 10-25% of its total electricity generation by 2050 without significantly increasing wholesale costs. It details three ambition scenarios (Low, Medium, and High), noting that a High Ambition target of 750 GW by 2050 would result in wholesale costs only 0.25% higher than a baseline scenario. The analysis emphasizes that offshore wind complements land-based renewables, reducing the required installation rate of the latter. However, scaling the industry requires substantial capital investment—exceeding $260 billion in the supply chain through 2045—and a shift toward clustered transmission planning to reduce interconnection costs by 35%. The report also projects that a High Ambition scenario could support approximately 390,000 jobs by 2050.

The report finds that achieving an 80% non-fossil electricity share by 2035 is technically feasible and would lower wholesale electricity costs compared to current policy trajectories. This transition would be driven by the declining costs of wind, solar, and battery storage, which the authors argue are now more cost-effective than new coal generation. The 'Clean Energy' scenario would significantly reduce CO2 emissions and premature deaths from air pollution, while resulting in a net increase in employment, despite losses in the coal mining sector. Reliability analysis suggests the system can maintain a 10% operating reserve margin even with high variable renewable penetration and the retirement of 250 to 300 GW of coal capacity.

The document addresses the recent surge in U.S. electricity demand driven by data centers, manufacturing, and electric vehicles. It warns that utilities are defaulting to new gas plants, which risks creating stranded assets and conflicting with climate goals. The authors propose a portfolio of alternatives, including aggressive energy efficiency, the reuse of fossil fuel interconnection sites for renewables, demand response with large customers, and grid-enhancing technologies to improve existing transmission infrastructure.

China's wind and solar megabases are increasingly relying on local industrial consumption and standalone battery storage to mitigate transmission bottlenecks and curtailment. However, the integration of renewables into coal-to-chemicals projects, such as those by Baofeng Energy, risks supplementing rather than replacing coal. Furthermore, the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) is characterized as conservative regarding transmission capacity and fossil fuel phase-out, potentially allowing coal-fired generation to rebound if demand growth exceeds renewable deployment.

South Korea aims to triple its renewable energy capacity to 100GW by 2030 to mitigate the economic impact of volatile fossil fuel prices. Since 2010, wind and solar have saved the country USD 25 billion in LNG import costs. While the country possesses strong industrial capabilities in solar panels, batteries, and transformers, it faces significant land constraints and grid bottlenecks, particularly in transmitting power from Honam to Seoul. The government is prioritizing a high-voltage direct current energy highway and digital grid integration to support this transition.

The document contends that retreating from clean energy investments in the US is a mistake, citing the vulnerability of fossil fuel dependence and the rapid growth of renewables. It highlights that solar, wind, and battery power are projected to constitute 93% of new energy additions to the US grid in 2025. The author emphasizes that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) supports job creation and workforce preparation for a sustainable economy. Additionally, the text stresses the necessity of high environmental and human rights standards for the mining and recycling of transition minerals to protect communities and mitigate supply chain risks.

The City of Cape Town (CCT) is developing a 7MW ground-mounted solar PV plant in Atlantis, marking the first utility-scale renewable energy project in South Africa owned and operated by a metropolitan municipality. Initiated in 2021 following a regulatory shift in the Electricity Regulation Act, the project aims to reduce reliance on Eskom and improve energy security. The CCT utilised a Corporate Project, Programme, and Portfolio Management (CPPPM) framework and an Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) contracting strategy via an NEC4 DBO contract to mitigate risks, including unexpected groundwater issues and global solar panel price shocks. The plant, which includes a 5MW/10MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), is expected to be completed by April 2026, avoiding 12,524 tonnes of CO2e emissions per annum and providing significant cost savings compared to Eskom tariffs.