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The document analyzes the 'Big Freeze' in Texas, attributing the disaster to a combination of inadequate building codes, failures in the natural gas supply chain, and an 'energy-only' electricity market design that failed to incentivize winterization. It argues that scarcity pricing is insufficient for managing 'high-impact common-mode events' and recommends a holistic approach to risk management, including emergency price caps, improved building codes, and demand-side investments.

The report highlights a significant gap in adaptation finance, noting that while total global climate finance reached US$437 billion in 2015, only 16 percent was dedicated to adaptation. It argues that public finance is insufficient to meet the projected costs of building resilience in the developing world, which could reach US$500 billion by 2050. The text identifies critical barriers to private sector engagement, including a lack of predictable returns, deficient regulatory frameworks, and knowledge gaps regarding climate vulnerability. It further examines how climate change threatens key sectors—agriculture, energy, health, and transport—while suggesting that these vulnerabilities also present new market opportunities for climate-resilient products and infrastructure.

The document argues that the US power sector faces a critical investment window between 2020 and 2030, with an estimated 420 GW of resource procurement needed. It advocates for a shift toward 'all-source', 'objective-aligned', and 'least-regrets' procurement practices to move away from legacy processes that reflect past conditions rather than emerging trends. The guide provides specific actionable recommendations for legislators, state commissions, and utilities to increase transparency, engage stakeholders, and better integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) into the planning and procurement cycle.

Zimbabwe has significant potential to lead the e-mobility transition in the SADC region, leveraging its automotive history and the need to reduce a fuel import bill that costs US$1.2 billion annually. The transition could address a fragmented public transport system dominated by 'kombis' and 'pirate taxis' through the introduction of small city EVs and electric mass transit. Strategic electrification of fleets in mining, logistics, and agriculture, combined with the country's nickel production for batteries and progressive net metering policies, offers a pathway toward a green and circular economy.

The document examines on-bill financing as a tool to overcome financial barriers to clean energy adoption, specifically for low-and moderate-income (LMI) households and renters. It highlights design features such as using utility payment history instead of credit scores and tying obligations to the utility meter to solve the 'split incentive' problem for renters. The report provides case studies of the Hawaii Green Energy Money Saver (GEM$) and Orcas Power and Light Cooperative's (OPALCO) Switch It Up! programs, demonstrating how these models facilitate the installation of solar PV and beneficial electrification projects while ensuring positive cash flow for participants.

The policy brief proposes a shift from project-based infrastructure to a business-based model to achieve universal infrastructure coverage, particularly in developing countries. It highlights how technological disruptions in energy, transport, and water are reducing capital costs and enabling distributed infrastructure. The authors advocate for listing these infrastructure businesses on local stock exchanges to attract institutional investors and suggest implementing stewardship principles—such as master plans and impact management—to align business operations with community needs and sustainability goals.

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has established a four-year work programme (2020-2023) to scale up climate finance for its Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs). The strategy focuses on three main areas: public sector investment in water security, renewable energy, and resilient infrastructure; leveraging the private sector through financial sector transformation; and enhancing institutional capacity through GCF Readiness support. The pipeline includes regional programmes for financial transformation, Integrated Utilities Services (IUS) for energy, and water security, alongside single-country projects in The Bahamas, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada. The CDB emphasizes the need for concessional financing to address high public debt levels exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The document provides a comprehensive directory of stakeholders involved in Togo's renewable energy landscape. It lists government bodies responsible for policy and regulation, private companies providing technical support and EPC services, NGOs promoting sustainable energy, academic institutions offering training, and international partners and financial institutions providing funding and technical assistance.

The South African small scale embedded generation (SSEG) market, dominated by rooftop solar PV, has grown to over 100,000 systems (over 1GW) as of 2020. However, market growth is hindered by an indistinct regulatory landscape and stakeholder uncertainty regarding licensing and registration. The document outlines a tiered regulatory framework based on capacity: systems under 100kW generally do not require NERSA registration (provided local utility conditions are met), those between 100kW and 1MW require NERSA registration, those between 1MW and 10MW require licensing, and those over 10MW require both licensing and ministerial determination. It emphasizes that all grid-connected generation must be registered with the relevant transmission or distribution grid operator, and for systems between 100kW and 1MW, a connection application to the distributor must precede the NERSA registration application.

The report outlines the South African utility-scale renewable energy landscape, focusing on the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) and the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019. It highlights a significant transition from coal-dominated generation toward wind and solar PV, with an estimated potential market value of R418 billion for these technologies and distributed generation. Key opportunities include the continuation of REIPPPP bid windows, increased local manufacturing of components, and the growth of utility-scale battery storage. However, the sector faces barriers such as Eskom's financial instability, regulatory uncertainty, and the complexities of unbundling the national utility.

The report outlines a transition toward sustainable agriculture in South Africa, driven by resource scarcity, rising input costs, and international market pressures. It identifies key opportunities in smart farming, undercover farming, regenerative and organic agriculture, and renewable energy. A significant portion of the analysis focuses on solar PV, solar-powered irrigation, and biogas, while also detailing the policy landscape including carbon tax, land reform, and cannabis legislation. The Western Cape is highlighted as a strategic hub for these greentech investments.

The South African EV ecosystem is currently nascent and dominated by private sector activity, with limited local commercial production of battery cells and a reliance on imported components. While the country possesses significant reserves of battery minerals like manganese, it lacks extensive beneficiation capacity. The automotive sector, a major GDP contributor, is pivoting toward EVs to maintain competitiveness in export markets that are phasing out internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Key barriers to adoption include high upfront costs, inadequate charging infrastructure, and a chronic shortage of technical skills. The report recommends that the City of Cape Town intervene through targeted incentives, procurement of EV fleets, and the development of charging infrastructure and skills training to stimulate a viable local value chain.

Earthjustice and Vote Solar successfully challenged several utility proposals in New Mexico to protect the growth of rooftop solar and prevent fossil fuel expansion. Key actions include blocking El Paso Electric's attempt to create a separate, higher rate class for solar customers in 2015 and defeating a rate hike by Southwestern Public Service Company in 2016. Additionally, in 2021, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission denied El Paso Electric's application to expand the Newman Generating Station, avoiding a projected $160 million cost to ratepayers.

The report argues that electric vehicles (EVs) can serve as enablers for a new energy paradigm in Southern Africa, shifting the region away from coal and oil dependency. It proposes a 'Southern African Green New Deal' and identifies five systemic innovations: transforming automakers into energy companies, implementing EV-enabled demand-side response services, transitioning consumers to 'prosumers' via peer-to-peer trading, deploying localized distributed energy resource (DER) networks using blockchain, and reskilling the workforce for green jobs. The analysis emphasizes that while South Africa's current grid is coal-heavy, EVs still offer lifecycle GHG reductions and can accelerate the decarbonization of power generation.

The document examines how the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone led to a sharp decline in energy sector financing as Official Development Assistance (ODA) was redirected toward immediate health emergencies. It argues that this siloed approach undermined long-term healthcare resilience, as reliable electricity is critical for medical services. To avoid repeating these mistakes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the brief recommends integrated planning between the energy and health sectors, increased de-risking of private investments, and the use of renewable energy for economic recovery.

The policy brief contends that Africa's vulnerability to crises like COVID-19 and climate change is exacerbated by low access to energy and the digital economy. It proposes that the AU-EU partnership should prioritise decentralised, renewable energy solutions to bridge the digital divide, as internet access is viewed as a critical value-added energy service and a human right. The document recommends that multi-lateral financial institutions invest in green energy, while policymakers incentivise broadband access and integrate ICT skills into education to foster economic inclusion and climate resilience.

The document supports Governor Gavin Newsom's September 23, 2020, executive order to phase out internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in California by 2035. It contends that this move signals a market shift toward electric vehicles (EVs), ensuring the US remains competitive with China and the EU. The author asserts that EVs, acting as mobile batteries, can enhance grid reliability and resilience through a "transactive grid" enabled by digital technologies and FERC order 2222, provided that grid capacity is expanded to accommodate new loads.

The project deployed a containerised 12kW solar generation unit in Mthembanji, Dedza District, Malawi, providing 220 V power to 60 domestic and commercial customers. Developed through a collaboration involving the University of Strathclyde, United Purpose, and SustainSolar, the system uses lithium-ion batteries and smart meters to offer a more sustainable and higher-impact alternative to solar home systems. The project has received approval from the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) for electricity sales and serves as a pilot to inform the national scaling of mini-grid operations.

The policy brief examines a pilot project in Mokoloki, Nigeria, where a privately owned solar minigrid shares existing distribution infrastructure with a utility to provide reliable power to 'undergrid' customers. It proposes that India, which faces similar challenges with high technical and commercial losses (up to 40%) and unreliable rural supply, could adopt this model to enhance last-mile service and financial viability for distribution companies.

The report evaluates a pilot energy efficiency auction proposed by ANEEL for Boa Vista, Roraima. It identifies five primary risks: the 'winner's curse' due to the closed-envelope bidding format, measurement and verification (M&V) failures, underutilization of EE potential due to treatment group restrictions, lack of incentive for energy distributors to promote rational energy use, and limited external validity for national replication. The authors suggest adopting open second-price auctions and synthetic control methods for M&V to mitigate these risks.