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The report finds that 91% of energy-related federal actions are categorically excluded from higher-level NEPA reviews, with higher scrutiny typically reserved for larger-scale projects. It provides quantitative evidence that tiered reviews can reduce timelines compared to standard Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). The analysis identifies the Department of the Interior as the central hub for interagency coordination on decarbonization projects. Additionally, it notes a modest reduction in EIS page lengths following the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, while highlighting significant gaps in federal data management and metadata standardization.

The report identifies a 'planning gap' in deregulated U.S. power markets where short-term wholesale price signals and Clean Electricity Standards (CES) fail to incentivize long-lead time, capital-intensive technologies like nuclear, geothermal, and long-duration energy storage. To address this, the authors propose a 'hybrid market' approach called state-led planning, which consists of three core components: system needs assessments, technology development roadmaps, and state-led procurement. This framework allows states to provide the long-term revenue certainty required by investors while maintaining the operational efficiencies of competitive wholesale markets. The report highlights Illinois's Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act as a primary example of this approach in practice and discusses the role of FERC Order 1920 in improving regional transmission planning.

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to provide clean firm power, its growth is hindered by a 'missing middle' financing gap, subsurface uncertainty, and outdated regulatory frameworks.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.

The Canadian Climate Institute proposes a Powering Canada Forward Fund (PCFF) to address the financial challenge of scaling Canada's electricity grid. Because current regulatory models pass the cost of new infrastructure immediately to ratepayers, there is a risk that rising bills will deter the electrification needed for climate goals. The PCFF would use federal funding to cover the gap between utility costs and customer receipts, deferring the cost of anticipatory build-out until new demand arrives to share the burden. This mechanism shifts demand risk from ratepayers to the federal government and ensures that the benefits of a larger, more efficient system are shared across generations of users.

The Canadian Climate Institute proposes a Canada Electrification Progress Fund (CEPF) to decouple the immediate costs of grid expansion from consumer electricity bills. By providing federal government-guaranteed funding to cover the gap between current revenues and the costs of new infrastructure, the fund aims to prevent price spikes that could discourage electrification. The proposal suggests that the federal government is best positioned to absorb the risk of demand uncertainty and that the fund would be repaid over several decades as the expanded customer base increases revenues. The CEPF would complement the Canada Infrastructure Bank by managing network-scale financial risk and timing of cost recovery rather than project-specific financing.

Africa possesses immense untapped ocean-based renewable energy potential, particularly in offshore wind, which could provide over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits and millions of jobs. While current deployment is minimal, tapping just 5% of the continent's 6,750 GW offshore wind potential could more than double its current power generation capacity and meet all new electricity demand through 2040. Realising this potential requires significant investment in infrastructure and policy frameworks, as Africa currently receives less than 2% of global renewable energy investment.

The paper examines the potential for Indigenous-led electricity transmission in Canada, advocating for a transition from passive equity stakes to full project leadership. It highlights the economic benefits of regulated rate-of-return models for community revenue and proposes a financing structure using Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) via the First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA) and the Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation (CILGC) to overcome structural barriers like the Indian Act.

The paper advocates for Indigenous-led electricity transmission projects in Canada, moving beyond passive equity stakes to active project leadership. It highlights the economic potential of a national grid, the role of Indigenous ownership in reducing diesel dependency and funding community services, and proposes a financing model using the First Nations Financial Management Board (FNFMB) and the Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation (CILGC) to overcome capital barriers.

The Colombian electricity transmission sector faces a structural backlog as generation capacity is projected to grow from 20.9 GW to 38.9 GW by 2030. The National Interconnected System (SIN) is nearing operational limits, with less than 5% capacity available and 90% of substations expected to exhaust short-circuit interrupting capacity within five years. Implementation is a critical hurdle, with 55% of current transmission projects delayed, some by up to 12 years, due to socio-environmental issues and planning misalignments. To address this, the Master Plan for Modernization and Expansion identifies 98 strategic works, 44 of which could resolve 149 operational constraints by 2037. Additionally, the Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME) adopted a Territorial Engagement Model in 2025 to better integrate socio-environmental and cultural criteria into planning.

The report argues that Canada's historical advantage of low-cost electricity is at risk due to outdated grid infrastructure, cautious energy planning, and policy instability. By comparing Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec with international peers like Texas and Germany, the analysis finds that Canadian grids often under-plan for industrial growth and lag in flexibility and transmission capacity. The document recommends that the federal government support interprovincial coordination, provide targeted funding for grid expansion, ensure a stable Clean Electricity Regulation, and prioritize grid flexibility to maintain industrial competitiveness.

The document outlines a comparative framework using six indicators—energy planning, flexible grid planning, transmission planning, electricity procurement, industrial rate modernization, and climate policy predictability—to assess the competitiveness of jurisdictions including Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, British Columbia, Germany, the UK, Norway, New South Wales, Washington, and Texas.

The report finds that Canadian provinces are generally underplanning for industrial electricity demand and lagging in system flexibility and transmission build-out compared to international peers. While hydro-led provinces like Quebec and British Columbia have inherent flexibility advantages, non-hydro jurisdictions like Alberta and Ontario need to proactively build capacity. The report recommends that the federal government support interprovincial energy planning, deploy the national balance sheet for anticipatory grid build-out, implement flexible Clean Electricity Regulations, and prioritize system flexibility in federal programs.

The document outlines a benchmarking framework used to assess how jurisdictions attract investment in wind, solar, and battery projects. It defines six metrics: energy planning, flexibility planning, transmission planning, electricity procurement, industrial rate modernization, and climate policy certainty. The report provides the specific data sources, scoring rubrics, and calculation methods used to evaluate Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, British Columbia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, New South Wales, Washington, and Texas.

The report compares two pathways for meeting U.S. electricity demand growth through 2030: one relying on fossil fuels and another on clean energy. It finds that a clean energy scenario reduces the incremental cost of meeting demand by $5.1 billion annually in 2030 and offers greater protection against fuel price volatility. To realize these savings, the authors recommend setting ambitious clean energy targets, updating electricity system planning with market-based assumptions, reducing permitting and interconnection barriers, implementing fuel cost sharing to manage risk, improving grid utilization through technologies like surplus interconnection and high-performance conductors, and harnessing demand-side resources such as virtual power plants and distributed energy 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.

The document examines how India is managing an energy price shock resulting from conflict in Iran. To control inflation, the Indian government has absorbed costs by cutting fuel excise duties and increasing fertilizer subsidies, costing an estimated 590 billion Indian rupees between March and May 2026. The brief warns that continued shock absorption may drain budgets for grid modernization and renewable energy, while passing costs to the public would disproportionately harm low-income households through indirect inflationary effects on food and transport.

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.

Indonesia requires an estimated USD 24 billion to expand its transmission infrastructure by 47.76 thousand circuit kilometers between 2025 and 2034. Because the state-owned utility PLN cannot fund this alone, the report proposes shifting from corporate-level finance to project finance structures using special purpose vehicles (SPVs) and long-term revenue contracts. The evaluated models include leasing, joint ventures, public-private partnerships (PPPs), infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs), and collective investment schemes for infrastructure (CIS-DINFRA). Successful implementation depends on three policy enablers: a dedicated transmission fee, off-balance sheet treatment, and targeted fiscal support.

The briefing examines the potential of Energy Resource Interconnection Service (ERIS) to address load growth and high energy prices in the PJM region. Based on analysis by Aurora Energy Research, the document asserts that wind and solar resources electing ERIS are financially viable and could save ratepayers nearly $11 billion over a decade if 10 GW are deployed by 2028. It calls for PJM to decouple ERIS studies from Network Resource Interconnection Service (NRIS) tracks and minimize network upgrade requirements to accelerate deployment.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) reports on the 2026 Virginia legislative session, highlighting progress in diversifying the electricity portfolio, modernizing procurement, and improving infrastructure siting. Key achievements include the state's planned reentry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) by July 1, 2026, and the creation of a Chief Energy Officer position. CATF argues that while these targeted improvements are constructive, Virginia must further modernize its Clean Economy Act (VCEA) to better integrate clean firm resources and manage rising electricity demand from data centers and manufacturing.