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The report argues that rapid declines in battery costs have made near-continuous solar power (24/365 generation) an economic reality in sunny regions. In cities like Las Vegas, achieving 97% reliability for a constant power supply is now cost-competitive at $104/MWh, which is cheaper than new coal and nuclear power. The analysis demonstrates that a relatively small amount of storage—approximately 17 kWh of battery for every 1 kW of stable 24-hour power—is sufficient for most sunny locations. This shift allows solar to support 24/7 clean energy contracts for energy-intensive industries and significantly reduces the need for expensive grid expansions by allowing more capacity to be installed behind existing connections.

RMI analysis indicates that repealing tech-neutral clean electricity tax credits, such as the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Production Tax Credit (PTC), would significantly raise electricity costs for American farmers and rural electric cooperatives. For a mid-sized dairy farm, annual costs could increase by $10,000 in 2026, while Wisconsin’s Dairyland Power Cooperative could see project costs more than double, increasing annual costs by $137 million. These credits are described as essential for reducing operating costs, diversifying income, and improving grid resilience in rural areas, which already face a 33 percent higher energy burden than the rest of the nation.

The EU aims for a 66% share of renewables in electricity generation by 2030, requiring significant increases in wind and solar capacity. While solar deployment is outpacing expectations, wind power faces challenges from grid bottlenecks and permitting issues.

The report finds that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) would significantly increase U.S. household energy costs, lead to substantial job losses in manufacturing and clean energy, and increase greenhouse gas emissions and premature deaths. By repealing key tax credits and environmental standards, the bill is projected to shrink cumulative GDP by $1.1 trillion between 2025 and 2034 and reduce new electricity capacity by 330 GW by 2035. While the bill expands oil and gas leasing, the report argues that the resulting increase in production is offset by higher demand-driven prices for fossil fuels.

The report uses the SATIMGE modelling framework to compare a least-cost Reference Case against various Policy Scenarios and an 'Ideal Energy Scenario' for South Africa. The Ideal Energy Scenario targets net zero CO2 by 2050 with a cumulative GHG limit of 8 Gt CO2-eq, featuring a systemic shift to 80% public transport, expanded social provisioning for low-income households (including 6.5 million solar water heaters), and a domestic clean energy manufacturing sector with 85% local content. Results indicate that while total system investment costs increase, an affordable and socially inclusive transition is possible, with energy sector employment increasing due to localisation measures, despite a slight relative decline in economy-wide employment compared to the Reference Case.

The report examines the energy demands of data centres in ASEAN, particularly those driven by AI, and argues that a dual approach of increasing solar and wind power procurement and enhancing energy efficiency is essential. It highlights that current grid emission targets in key hubs are insufficient and suggests that at least 30% of electricity demand in five ASEAN data centre hubs could be met by wind and solar by 2030 without immediate battery storage. The document emphasizes the critical role of cooling systems in tropical climates and the potential for software optimisation to reduce energy consumption.

The report highlights that data centres in ASEAN could account for 2% to 30% of national power demand by 2030, risking a significant increase in emissions, particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It argues that approximately 30% of this demand can be met by solar and wind via grids without battery storage. The document advocates for more accessible corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), national sustainability frameworks, and advanced cooling technologies to ensure the sector's growth does not derail regional decarbonisation targets.

The report argues that ASEAN's transmission grid expansion must roughly double to align with IEA pathways, as current national plans for Indonesia, Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Thailand cover only about 45% of the required expansion. It highlights that 30 GW of solar and wind potential is located along planned interconnection routes in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Brunei. To support this transition, the report proposes a six-pillar framework for future-ready grid planning—including smart modernisation, strategic expansion, and market reforms—and suggests learning from the integrated power systems of Europe and Southern Africa to move from bilateral to multilateral power trade.

The report examines the need for grid modernisation and policy alignment in ASEAN to support the transition to renewables. It highlights the current dominance of fossil fuels, the risk of curtailment seen in Vietnam, and the potential of clean flexibility options such as pumped hydro, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and demand-side management (DSM) to ensure grid stability and enable cross-border energy sharing.

The report details RMI's engagement in a transition credit pilot for the SLTEC coal plant in the Philippines, proposing a structured four-phase approach—Project Screening, Defining Evaluation Scope, Pre-Feasibility Analysis, and Recommendations—to ensure project integrity and financial viability. It highlights the role of transition credits in filling financing gaps for early coal retirement and the necessity of rigorous baseline setting and clean energy replacement planning to avoid moral hazard and leakage.

The report finds that the 2025 Reconciliation bill would significantly increase household energy costs, lead to substantial job losses, and increase greenhouse gas emissions by repealing clean energy incentives and EPA standards. Despite proposed increases in oil and gas production, the analysis suggests that higher demand for fossil fuels and the loss of low-cost renewable capacity would raise overall energy spending and decrease GDP.

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.

The briefing distinguishes between attributional accounting, which allocates emissions responsibility, and consequential assessment, which estimates how specific corporate actions change total greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that while attributional reporting is necessary for inventories, it fails to quantify real-world abatement or value actions like grid storage. By adopting modernized consequential methods, companies can prioritize interventions—such as siting solar projects in coal-heavy regions—that drive faster grid decarbonization.

In 2024, Türkiye's combined wind and solar electricity generation reached 62 TWh, surpassing the historical peak of domestic coal production (53 TWh in 2019). While solar generation grew by 39% to reach a 7.5% share of total production, wind growth slowed, maintaining a 10.7% share. Despite a record high in total coal generation (122 TWh), making Türkiye the highest coal-producing country in Europe, the overall share of fossil fuels fell to 55%, the lowest since 1993, driven by a decrease in natural gas use. However, renewable growth has not kept pace with a 5.5% increase in electricity demand, which was driven by record temperatures in June and July. Türkiye's new 2035 targets aim to quadruple wind and solar capacity to 120 GW, which could potentially reduce the fossil fuel share of electricity production to below 20%.

In 2024, wind and solar power in Türkiye permanently overtook domestic coal generation for the first time, reaching a combined share of 18% of electricity generation. Solar power saw a record year-on-year increase of 39%, while wind power growth slowed. Despite this, electricity demand grew by 5.5% in 2024, largely driven by record temperatures, meaning renewables are not yet expanding fast enough to fully displace imported fossil fuels. Türkiye has set ambitious 2035 targets to quadruple wind and solar capacity to 120 GW, which could potentially reduce the fossil fuel share of electricity to below 20%. However, the report notes that current 2030 targets are unambitious and that grid connection capacity remains a primary barrier to deployment.

The report highlights solar power as the primary engine of the global energy transition, noting it surpassed 2,000 TWh of generation in 2024 and doubles every three years. While emerging drivers such as data centres, EVs, and heat pumps have structurally increased electricity demand, clean generation is projected to grow fast enough to meet this demand and drive a structural decline in fossil fuels by 2030. Central to this shift is the progress in China and India, where clean power deployment is breaking the historical link between economic growth and fossil fuel expansion, potentially tipping the global balance toward a decline in fossil generation.

In 2024, clean power surpassed 40% of global electricity generation for the first time since the 1940s, driven by record solar growth. Despite this, global power sector emissions reached an all-time high of 14.6 billion tonnes of CO2 because heatwaves drove a 1.4% increase in fossil generation to meet cooling demand. Solar generation doubled over the last three years, reaching 2,131 TWh, while emerging drivers like AI data centres, EVs, and heat pumps structurally increased demand growth. China and India are increasingly decoupling their electricity demand growth from fossil fuel expansion, with China's clean generation meeting 81% of its demand increase in 2024.

India's heavy industries—steel, cement, and aluminium—have a 20 GW profitable opportunity to integrate solar power today through green energy open access, potentially reducing annual emissions by 29 million tonnes. While sourcing 50% renewable energy (RE) is currently cost-effective without storage, achieving 24/7 RE is prohibitively expensive, costing up to 3.5 times the price of standard RE generation due to the massive battery storage and capacity oversizing required. The report highlights that steel offers the most immediate cost-saving potential, whereas aluminium remains heavily reliant on captive coal power, requiring stronger regulatory mandates to transition.

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.

In 2024, low-carbon electricity generation exceeded 40% of the global total for the first time in decades, driven by unprecedented solar energy growth. Despite this, extreme heatwaves increased electricity demand for cooling, leading to a slight rise in fossil fuel generation and record-high sector emissions. Solar energy has doubled its generation over the last three years, with China contributing over half of the 2024 increase. The report concludes that while short-term weather fluctuations can cause temporary fossil fuel spikes, the long-term trend is dominated by clean energy growth and electrification.