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The document outlines a new energy security framework for Central and Eastern Europe, emphasizing the transition from fossil fuel imports to clean energy to mitigate geopolitical risks. It calls for the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, the creation of a grid security framework to counter hybrid warfare, and the expansion of the EU single energy market through harmonized permitting and increased interconnector investment. Additionally, it advocates for an incentive-based investment approach similar to the US Inflation Reduction Act to maintain European competitiveness and prevent reliance on non-EU financing.

The report argues that proactive grid planning is essential for Europe to meet its goal of tripling data centre capacity and capturing the economic benefits of AI. It highlights a shift in investment from traditional hubs (FLAP-D markets) to regions with lower grid congestion, such as the Nordics and Southern Europe. The analysis suggests that innovative connection agreements, data centre flexibility, and strategic spatial planning can significantly reduce connection wait times and infrastructure costs.

The report argues that while the EU aims to triple data centre capacity within five to seven years, grid congestion in traditional hubs like Dublin, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam is creating a primary barrier to growth. This is shifting investment toward markets with better grid preparedness, such as the Nordics and Belgium. Data centres are identified as unique grid challenges due to their large, localised, and continuous loads. Despite their economic benefits—including GDP growth and job creation—forecasts suggest the EU will likely only double its capacity by 2030, falling short of its target.

The report details a critical shortage of grid connection capacity in Turkey and worldwide. In Turkey, 65% of unlicensed project applications were rejected between February 2024 and April 2025 due to regional capacity constraints. Globally, 1.65 TW of wind, solar, and hydro projects are awaiting connection. The document identifies economic risks, long construction timelines, cautious technical planning, and procedural inefficiencies as primary barriers to the energy transition.

The report outlines the regulatory complexities of the energy transition toward low-emissions hydrogen, emphasizing the high uncertainty of future demand. It provides specific guidance for electricity and gas regulators on managing infrastructure investments, pricing, and safety risks. The authors argue that regulators must balance government policy goals with their mandate to ensure affordable and safe service, warning against 'stranded assets' if hydrogen investments are based on hype rather than economic reality. Key technical concerns include hydrogen's propensity for pipeline embrittlement, low roundtrip efficiency in power generation, and the necessity of high-integrity emissions accounting to avoid greenwashing.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analysis finds that vehicle-grid integration (VGI) in California could save the electricity system between $1.8 billion and $11.7 billion annually by 2045. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology offers significantly higher savings than managed charging (V1G) alone, primarily by reducing the need for grid infrastructure upgrades and gas generation.

The document introduces a three-part framework consisting of on-the-ground solutions, policy and market-enabling conditions, and state levers. It categorizes electricity system improvements into six areas: system-wide efficiency and demand management, utility-scale clean energy supply, community- and commercial-scale clean energy supply, clean distributed energy supply, improved grid management, and updated grid infrastructure. For each category, the guide suggests specific actions—such as implementing clean portfolio standards, expanding virtual power plants (VPPs), and adopting grid-enhancing technologies (GETs)—and provides sample implementation pathways combining different state levers and market conditions.

The report argues that the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) can unlock significant renewable energy potential and enhance energy security by connecting resource-rich countries with high-demand markets. It highlights specific planned solar and wind projects, the role of the ASEAN Interconnection Master Plan Study (AIMS), and the potential for 30 GW of additional renewable capacity to generate 109 TWh of electricity and create 182,000 jobs.

ASEAN electricity demand grew by approximately 50% between 2013 and 2023 and is projected to rise by up to 41% by 2030. While the IEA's Announced Pledges Scenario (APS) targets 100,000 km of transmission line expansion for Southeast Asia between 2021 and 2030, the combined plans of Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, and the Philippines total 45,078 km, covering only about 45% of that target. The document argues that grid planning must shift from merely meeting peak demand to managing the intermittency of wind and solar power, which saw cost reductions of 55% and 85% respectively in the decade to 2020.

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 briefing assesses the energy transition of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) region, noting that while some countries have reduced gas demand and integrated grids, Russian gas imports rose in 2024 for several members. It warns that planned expansions of LNG and pipeline capacity by 2030 risk creating stranded assets due to declining demand. The author recommends that the 10th Three Seas Summit focus on a 2027 Russian gas phase-out, the creation of a 'Transmission Highway' for clean power, and the development of regional energy hubs.

The document outlines the climate risks facing border cities like Tijuana, Nogales, and El Paso, where aging infrastructure and fragmented US-Mexico coordination exacerbate the impact of floods and heatwaves. It highlights how these pressures disproportionately affect migrants, low-income residents, and indigenous groups, while suggesting key areas for journalistic investigation into funding gaps and resilience efforts.

The Mediterranean region's renewable power capacity is projected to double from 315 GW in 2023 to 626 GW by 2030, primarily driven by solar and wind. However, this trajectory falls 374 GW short of the TeraMed Initiative's 1 TW goal. To bridge this gap, the region would need to install an additional 54 GW of wind and solar annually beyond current plans, totaling 98 GW per year, which significantly exceeds the historical maximum annual deployment of 45 GW.

The document argues that financing new gas-fired power plants is incompatible with climate goals because gas is not a viable transition fuel, demand is peaking, and future conversions to hydrogen or CCUS are unrealistic. It calls on global banks to adopt specific power sector policies that exclude new gas financing and establish a 6:1 energy supply financing ratio in favor of sustainable alternatives by 2030.

In 2024, extreme heatwaves in China, the US, and India drove record air conditioning use, significantly increasing electricity demand and forcing a surge in coal and gas generation to meet the shortfall. The report highlights that cooling demand accounted for 37% of the US demand increase (April-September), 31% in China, and 19% in India for the same period. In China, coal generation grew by 10% in September 2024, while in the US, coal rose by 6.4% in June. The authors argue that relying on fossil fuels to meet cooling needs creates a feedback loop that accelerates climate change, recommending a transition to energy-efficient ACs, rooftop solar, and improved retail pricing to enhance grid resilience.

The U.S. clean energy sector saw record solar and battery storage installations in 2024, with renewables accounting for approximately 90% of new capacity. However, progress is hindered by grid interconnection backlogs, rising local opposition, high interest rates, and supply chain shortages. The report also notes a slowdown in EV sales growth and warns that the Trump administration's policies may create further roadblocks to decarbonization.

RMI proposes a strategic framework to mitigate rising utility costs driven by infrastructure spending, fossil fuel reliance, and outdated regulatory incentives. The framework offers seven core strategies—ranging from improved planning and coordinated gas-electric regulation to leveraging competition and lowering financing costs—to ensure grid reliability and customer affordability.

The paper defines Zombie Energy Systems (ZES) as outdated, inefficient, and environmentally harmful energy assets that persist in Africa despite being obsolete. It argues that the current international focus on new renewable energy projects overlooks the necessity of decommissioning or rehabilitating these failing systems, which include ageing power plants, inefficient grids, and second-hand appliances. The authors trace the origins of ZES to colonial legacies, poor maintenance, and political corruption, and propose a holistic strategy involving comprehensive system assessments, regulatory strengthening, and local capacity building to ensure a just and effective energy transition.

The North Sea is the world's largest offshore wind basin, with 30 GW of capacity across 101 operational wind farms. While the region leads in deployment, the report highlights that supply chain challenges and fragmented regulatory frameworks hinder further progress. It advocates for the standardisation of component sizes and the deployment of hybrid offshore assets to create a more secure, meshed grid. Additionally, the report emphasizes that the North Sea's potential as a 'green power plant' for Europe depends on the electrification of non-power sectors, as half of Europe's industrial energy consumption is located in North Sea bordering countries. Finally, it notes that offshore wind is helping stabilise electricity prices through Contracts-for-Difference (CfD) mechanisms, with recent projects delivering competitive strike prices compared to average European day-ahead power prices.

Global energy transition investments reached a record USD 2.4 trillion in 2024, yet remain insufficient to meet the 1.5°C pathway. While solar PV and battery storage show strong growth, other technologies like wind and green hydrogen face significant headwinds. Investment is heavily concentrated in China and advanced economies, leaving least developed countries (LDCs) and Sub-Saharan Africa severely underfunded and dependent on international public finance.