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Bulgaria is at a pivotal energy transition point as coal's share of electricity generation fell below 30% in 2023. While solar power has grown rapidly, wind energy has stagnated since 2012. The report highlights a technical offshore wind potential of 4.3-5 GW in the maritime exclusive economic zone near Romania, which could lower wholesale power prices by 45% by 2030 if combined with increased onshore wind and better interconnections. To achieve this, the report recommends the swift adoption of a new offshore wind law, the implementation of Contracts-for-Difference (CfDs), and the update of the National Energy and Climate Plan with explicit 2030 targets.

In 2023, the EU electricity sector saw a record 19% decline in power sector emissions and a 3.4% year-on-year drop in electricity demand. Clean sources now account for two-thirds of the EU power mix, while fossil fuels have decreased to one-third of generation, down from over half in 2000.

The research paper examines the implications of the lapsed 123 Agreement between the US and South Africa, which suspended export licenses for nuclear fuel supplier Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It details the critical life extension process at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant, including the replacement of steam generators for Unit 1 and Unit 2, and notes that the plant provides approximately 6% of South Africa's electricity. The document highlights a deadlock in US-South Africa negotiations over South Africa's right to produce its own nuclear fuel, and notes a new Memorandum of Understanding between the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) and Russia's TVEL. Finally, it mentions South Africa's plan to procure an additional 2500 MW of nuclear power to combat loadshedding, despite past legal challenges to nuclear deals with Russia.

The report outlines the development of certification criteria for electrical utilities to ensure their financing aligns with the Paris Agreement. It establishes a global emissions intensity transition pathway based on the IEA Net Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2050 scenario, targeting near-zero emissions for the power sector by 2040. The criteria distinguish between existing capacity, which must follow phase-out or retrofitting benchmarks, and new capacity, which must be low-carbon as no new fossil fuel plants are eligible. It also details specific thresholds for non-combustion emissions in hydropower, geothermal, and bioenergy, and sets requirements for decarbonization measures like Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and hydrogen co-firing.

Canada needs to add over 10 gigawatts of new zero-emission electricity annually until 2050 to reach net zero. The author argues that current inclusive permitting processes are too slow and complex. They propose a two-track system: one for major or unproven projects and a second, expedited track for proven technologies like wind, solar, and lithium-ion batteries. This fast-track process would rely on binding, objective 'yes/no' criteria focusing on local government support, avoidance of key ecological features, and the mitigation of uncompensated off-site impacts. The paper concludes that all five orders of government (federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous) have the legal authority to implement these reforms, and recommends that municipal and Indigenous governments lead the project decisions for fast-track approvals.

The document outlines the state of nuclear energy in Africa, noting that while South Africa is the only country with a commercial plant, Egypt is constructing a large-scale facility and several other nations are exploring the option. It highlights the potential role of small modular reactors (SMRs) in balancing grids with renewable energy.

Reclaim Finance recommends that French life insurers implement a Climate/Energy policy across all asset classes to end support for fossil fuel expansion. The guide details specific implementation paths for 'fonds euro' (general funds) and 'unités de compte' (unit-linked accounts), proposing a phased timeline from 2024 to 2026 to pressure asset management companies (SdG) into compliance through divestment threats and strict selection criteria.

The paper examines how institutional carbon lock-in perpetuates fossil fuel use in Latin America, specifically through case studies of gas projects in Mexico and Colombia. It argues that state-owned enterprises and regulatory bodies often approve infrastructure based on the 'bridge fuel' narrative and perceived links between gas and economic development, despite a lack of robust demand analysis or alignment with climate targets.

Half of the world's economies are at least five years past a peak in fossil power generation, with 107 economies representing 38% of global electricity demand having seen emissions fall by nearly 20% over the last decade. While the EU, Oceania, and North America are in a period of decline, Asia and the Middle East are the only regions yet to reach a peak, though individual countries like Viet Nam and Japan show progress. The report emphasizes that the expansion of wind and solar is the primary driver of fossil fuel displacement, noting that without these technologies, power sector emissions would be 20% higher.

Global power sector emissions plateaued in the first half of 2023, increasing by only 0.2%. While wind and solar generation grew and increased their share of the global power mix, a historic decline in hydropower due to droughts—particularly in China—prevented a more significant emissions drop. Low electricity demand in high-income economies further suppressed emissions growth.

The report identifies a systemic failure in how US utilities handle fuel costs, noting that fuel adjustment clauses pass 100% of costs to customers, removing any incentive for utilities to be efficient. To address this, the author proposes six regulatory interventions: fuel-cost sharing, removal of fuel-cost true-ups, fuel-risk reduction tariffs, improved planning and procurement, increased information access for regulators, and the implementation of efficiency ratios to reward performance.

The document argues that high-quality, open power sector data is essential for the coal-to-clean electricity transition in Asia, a region containing 80% of global coal generation. It details a research methodology used to evaluate data transparency in 39 economies across East, Southeast, South, Central, and West Asia, as well as Oceania, by assessing 74 data sources against criteria such as time and geographical granularity, publishing lag, and ease of access.

The Asia Data Transparency Report 2023 finds that over half of the surveyed Asian economies have poor or insufficient power sector data transparency, affecting the electricity needs of 684 million people. While high-income economies generally score better, some lower-middle income nations like India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are demonstrating good practice. The report emphasizes that granular, real-time, and open-access data is essential for grid optimization and evidence-based policymaking to meet decarbonisation targets. It highlights a successful public-private partnership in India between NITI Aayog and the Vasudha Foundation and provides nine practical recommendations for improving data governance, including the use of machine-readable formats and unique identifiers.

RMI analysis finds that utility-scale solar and onshore wind are already cheaper to build than new natural gas plants in Texas, even without the Chapter 313 tax incentives. The report argues that excluding renewables from the next iteration of Chapter 313 via House Bill (HB) 5 is economically inefficient, as it would require $150 to $300 in taxpayer funds per kilowatt to make natural gas competitive. Furthermore, rapid adoption of clean technologies could allow Texas to retain $130 billion in-state through federal tax credits, with approximately 35 percent of that amount stimulating the electricity sector.

The global electricity sector is the largest CO2 emitter and must reach net zero by 2040 to facilitate the decarbonisation of other sectors. Following the IEA Net Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario, wind and solar are identified as the primary drivers of this transition. By 2030, wind and solar must increase to 41% of global electricity generation, while coal and gas generation must decrease by 54% and 24% respectively. By 2040, unabated coal must be phased out globally, and unabated gas should provide only 0.3% of electricity. This transition is essential to support rising electricity demand in developing regions and the electrification of transport, heating, and industry.

In 2022, global electricity generation remained dominated by fossil fuels at 61%, though wind and solar reached a record 12% share. Despite record growth in renewables, global power sector emissions hit an all-time high of 12,431 mtCO2, driven by rising demand in major economies like China and India. The report highlights a gap between current trends and the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario, which requires a rapid phase-out of unabated coal and gas by 2035-2040.

In 2022, global electricity reached its lowest emissions intensity ever at 436 gCO2/kWh, with wind and solar hitting a record 12% of generation. Despite this, total power sector CO2 emissions reached a record high of 12,431 mtCO2 because wind and solar growth could not fully keep pace with a 2.5% increase in global electricity demand. This gap was filled by coal and other fossils, with coal generation rising by 108 TWh to a record 10,186 TWh. While clean electricity sources other than wind and solar saw their first year-on-year decline since 2011 due to nuclear outages and droughts, 2022 is characterized as an 'accelerator year' due to policy shifts like the EU's REPowerEU and the US Inflation Reduction Act.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is funding between four and ten Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) using $8 billion allocated by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). These hubs are designed to catalyze domestic clean hydrogen production and operationalize the DOE's Hydrogen Shot goal of reducing production costs by 80% to $1 per kilogram within ten years. Applicants are evaluated on feedstock diversity (requiring demonstrations from fossil fuels, renewable energy, and nuclear energy), end-use diversity (covering electric power, industrial, residential/commercial heating, and transportation), a minimum 50% non-federal cost share, and community benefits plans aligned with the Justice40 Initiative. The program aims to decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors—which accounted for nearly 16% of U.S. emissions in 2018—and foster hydrogen-fueled transportation corridors and export potential. Financial viability is further supported by the Inflation Reduction Act's Section 45V tax credit, offering up to $3.00 per kilogram of clean hydrogen for projects starting construction before 2033.

One year after the invasion of Ukraine, the EU has substituted nearly 75% of Russian gas imports and seen wind and solar generate a record 22% of its electricity in 2022. Globally, gas demand is forecast to peak by the end of the decade, with 88% of electricity demand growth to 2025 expected to be met by renewables. While renewable energy saved billions in fossil fuel costs, high gas and coal prices drove 90% of the global increase in electricity costs in 2022. Russia faces significant financial losses from sanctions, including a USD 25 billion public deficit in January 2023, while EU industrial production grew by over 2% on average despite a 15% drop in industrial gas demand.

The document outlines the methodology for calculating the amount of fossil fuels displaced by solar energy and the associated avoided costs. It describes the use of Ember's electricity datasets, IEA thermal efficiency and calorific value data, and UN Comtrade trade data to build linear regression models for fuel pricing. The analysis assumes solar replaces the cheapest fossil fuel generation in each country, with a specific exception for Indonesia where oil is replaced first.