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The policy brief outlines a pathway for the U.S. to reach 90 percent zero carbon electricity by 2035, leveraging falling costs of solar, wind, and batteries. It asserts that this transition could support $1.7 trillion in investment and 530,000 annual energy jobs without increasing customer bills. However, it warns that without policy intervention, zero carbon sources would only reach 53 percent by 2035. The authors propose specific regulatory actions for FERC and RTO/ISOs, including simplifying interconnection rules, reforming transmission cost allocation, enhancing energy price signals, and reducing reliance on capacity markets.

Energy Innovation modeled a subset of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis's recommendations, finding that these policies could reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030 and 89% by 2050. The analysis projects that net carbon dioxide emissions would reach zero by 2048, avoiding 62,000 premature deaths annually by 2050 and generating approximately $8 trillion in monetized health and climate benefits (at a 3% discount rate). The modeling covers sectors including electricity, transportation, buildings, industry, oil and gas, agriculture, and natural climate solutions, assuming a transition to 100% clean electricity by 2040 and 100% zero-emission vehicle sales for light-duty vehicles by 2035.

The policy brief argues that the U.S. can achieve 90 percent zero-carbon electricity by 2035 through a federal clean energy standard and complementary reforms in tax credits, manufacturing, transmission planning, and wholesale market design. This transition would require significant scaling of solar, wind, and battery storage, while retiring the coal fleet and utilizing existing gas plants only for flexibility. The authors emphasize the need for a 'just transition' for coal-dependent communities and the modernization of utility regulation through performance-based models and all-source procurement to ensure the transition is affordable and equitable.

The report argues that flexibility needs in India's electricity system are growing faster than energy demand, particularly under high renewable energy scenarios. It finds that a balanced portfolio of demand-side flexibility, powerplant upgrades, and energy storage can reduce total system costs by 5% to 8% and carbon emissions by 8% to 12% compared to a base case. The analysis highlights regional disparities, noting that states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu face higher curtailment risks, and emphasizes the need for updated market designs, business models, and infrastructure to unlock these flexibility options.

The report argues that India's flexibility needs are growing faster than its energy demand, which could impede the deployment of renewable energy if not addressed. It identifies three primary flexibility resources: demand-side response (e.g., agricultural pumping, air conditioning, and industrial loads), improved thermal and hydroelectric powerplant operations, and energy storage (specifically lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydro). The analysis demonstrates that a 'balanced portfolio' combining these resources can reduce total system electricity costs by 5% to 8% and carbon emissions by 8% to 12% compared to a base case. Regional analysis shows that states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu face more acute ramping and seasonal flexibility challenges due to high solar and wind penetration, while Uttar Pradesh could potentially export flexibility. The report concludes that achieving these goals requires significant reforms in market design, data collection, infrastructure, and business models.

The report evaluates Nepal's future energy options, finding that while hydropower remains central, integrating wind, solar, and battery storage can enhance system flexibility and support river conservation. Using the SWITCH model, the study demonstrates that strategic conservation of rivers, such as the Karnali basin, can be achieved with minimal impact on overall system costs. It also highlights the risks of relying solely on hydropower, noting that such a strategy increases costs by 10.7% and requires significant overbuilding of capacity to meet dry-season demand. The analysis further indicates that imports from India are critical for affordability, as eliminating them would increase system costs by approximately 45%. Additionally, the report explores regional equity and export strategies, suggesting that a diversified energy mix can support social goals and potential profitability if export prices exceed 30 $/MWh.

The report proposes a policy framework to reach U.S. net zero emissions by 2050, projecting an annual abatement of over 6 Gt of emissions and 120,000 lives saved from reduced pollution. It details sector-specific strategies: industrial decarbonization through electrification and hydrogen; transportation via electric and hydrogen vehicle mandates; a 100 percent carbon-free electricity standard by 2050; and an all-electric building sales mandate by 2035.

The document examines the risks that current short-term wholesale electricity markets, based on locational marginal prices (LMPs), may fail to provide sufficient price signals to sustain the investment needed for deep decarbonization. This is primarily due to the minimal short-run marginal costs of variable renewable energy (VRE) and the fact that VRE resources often cannot capture scarcity prices during production lulls. To mitigate this, the authors propose long-term markets that provide contractual certainty through power purchase agreements (PPAs) or similar mechanisms. The report compares three specific proposals (by Corneli, Gimon, and Pierpont), identifying six core commonalities: the use of long-term contracts, voluntary participation, coordination with short-term markets, incremental implementation, optimized policy guidance, and organic implementation pathways. The authors suggest that these long-term markets can better identify efficient portfolios of VRE, storage, and flexible load across broad regions, reducing the risk of overbuild or incompatible resource mixes.

The report finds that a significant portion of the U.S. coal fleet is now more expensive to operate than replacing it with new local wind and solar power. In 2018, 74% of the fleet was 'at risk' of being undercut by renewables, a figure projected to rise to 86% by 2025. The analysis emphasizes that these findings are conservative because they only consider resources within 35 miles of existing plants and do not account for broader transmission expansion or combined energy portfolios.

The policy memo outlines a framework for federal infrastructure investments in the United States, emphasizing the need to modernize the electric grid, accelerate offshore wind and battery storage, and implement 'climate-ready' design standards. It advocates for targeting investments toward underserved communities and displaced fossil fuel workers to ensure an equitable transition to a low-carbon economy.

India can integrate 390GW of wind and solar generation by 2030 at a lower total system cost than its current trajectory by increasing the flexibility of electricity supply and demand. The report identifies four primary flexibility needs: operating reserves, ramping, daily balancing, and seasonal balancing, all of which will grow as renewable energy penetration increases. A 'balanced portfolio' combining demand-side management, energy storage, and powerplant flexibility is found to be the most cost-effective approach, reducing energy waste by 82% to 97%, total system costs by 5% to 8%, and carbon emissions by 8% to 12% compared to a thermal-only approach. Regional analysis reveals that states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will face acute seasonal and ramping challenges, while Uttar Pradesh could act as a flexibility exporter due to its industrial base. The report concludes that urgent action on data, market design, and infrastructure is required to unlock these flexibility resources.

The author contends that a 100 percent renewable energy pathway to decarbonization is risky because it depends on the simultaneous success of multiple uncertain elements, including wind and solar scaling, transmission grid expansion, seasonal storage, load management, and public funding. Using a probabilistic example, the text illustrates that if five essential elements each have a 90% chance of success, the cumulative probability of success drops to 59%. The document proposes 'de-risking' the energy transition by pursuing multiple independent technology paths in parallel, which mathematically increases the overall likelihood of achieving full decarbonization.

The report finds that India's renewable energy power sector has historically been less risky and more lucrative than the fossil fuel sector, with higher risk-adjusted returns. Investor perceptions align with this, viewing renewables as safer, though solar is perceived as less risky than wind. The primary drivers of risk for both sectors are counterparty risk (specifically DISCOM non-payment), grid/transmission inadequacy, and financial sector constraints. Fossil fuel investments face additional significant risks from power market volatility and resource uncertainty, particularly for natural gas.

Nigeria faces a severe energy crisis with 60-70% of its population lacking regular electricity access and an average output of 5,000 MW against an installed capacity of 12,522 MW. The report identifies critical bottlenecks including a non-cost-reflective tariff regime, a N1 trillion revenue shortfall as of December 2016, and significant gas flaring despite the country ranking 9th globally in natural gas reserves. While hydropower provided approximately 32% of supply in 2015, other renewables like solar and wind remain underdeveloped. The author recommends the total deregulation of the gas sector, universal metering to close a gap of 4.09 million customers, and the implementation of the renewable energy masterplan to achieve a 10% renewable energy contribution by 2025.

The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has emerged as a leader in renewable energy, offering significant opportunities for corporate buyers through wind power purchase agreements (PPAs). Market improvements since 2014, including the integration of the Integrated System (IS) transmission system, have increased dispatch efficiency and reduced energy costs. The region possesses some of the highest wind resource quality in the U.S., with nine of the top 10 states for high-capacity-factor wind generation located within the SPP footprint. This high capacity factor allows for lower unit costs and more competitive PPA prices. While there is a strong pipeline of planned wind capacity—including an estimated 19 GW of planned additions and nearly 7 GW expected in 2017—corporate buyers are cautioned to monitor the pace of transmission infrastructure investment to avoid curtailment risks and track regional policy changes, such as potential tax credit eliminations in Oklahoma.

The report addresses the conflict between the Northeastern U.S.'s aggressive renewable energy targets and its limited available land. It argues that meeting these goals requires a combination of innovative siting on low-conflict lands (such as brownfields and prison lands), the acceleration of offshore wind, the use of distributed energy resources, and the import of Canadian hydroelectricity. The authors emphasize that overcoming local opposition through early community engagement and 'Smart from the Start' principles is critical to avoiding project delays and failures.

China experienced rapid wind power growth from 1.26 GW in 2005 to 91.4 GW by 2013, but this expansion outpaced grid infrastructure. This led to significant issues with curtailment and delayed project connections, driven by a lack of coordination between wind farm construction and grid expansion, as well as insufficient state-level oversight. The Chinese government has acknowledged these gaps in its 2012 White Paper and 12th Five-Year Plan, emphasizing the need for better integration of supply and demand.

China experienced unprecedented wind power growth, with capacity increasing from 1.26 GW in 2005 to 91.4 GW by the end of 2013. However, this rapid deployment led to significant issues with delayed grid connections and curtailment, particularly in resource-rich northern provinces. The report identifies a mismatch between the location of wind resources and power demand, alongside a lack of coordinated planning between generation capacity and transmission infrastructure. Governance failures, such as setting targets based on installed capacity rather than actual generation and a system of guaranteed run hours for coal plants, further exacerbated these problems. The Chinese government has responded with technical upgrades like ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission lines, revised feed-in tariffs, and a shift toward distributed wind power to mitigate these systemic inefficiencies.

The analysis examines the institutional regime of transmission grid development in Sweden to identify obstacles to achieving a decarbonized Nordic power system by 2050. While the current regime is generally capable of implementing necessary investments, specific barriers exist that require governance interventions to ensure the grid can support decarbonization goals.

The document outlines a 'Clean Path Case' for Pennsylvania to reduce CO2 emissions by 29 million tons by 2030. It argues that prioritizing wind, solar, and energy efficiency, combined with a mass-based emissions trading program, would generate billions in capital investments and health benefits while ensuring grid reliability via the PJM Interconnection.