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The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) evaluates the Council's general approach to the European Commission's Grid Package, which includes revisions to the TEN-E Regulation and permitting procedures. While welcoming the move toward mandatory sensitivity analyses and the recognition of permitting bottlenecks, CATF warns that shifting the 'central scenario' for infrastructure planning to an implementing act could 're-nationalised key elements' and increase Member State control. The document emphasizes a critical lack of transparency in modelling and warns that making digital permitting portals and tacit approval mechanisms optional could create a 'patchwork of policies' that slows cross-border deployment. CATF advocates for open modelling, independent review of cross-sector assumptions, and a time-bound permitting framework to meet Europe's climate and energy security goals.

The document outlines technical adjustments made to the ReEDS database for a study on data center threats in Louisiana. Key modifications include restricting wind power deployment in Louisiana until 2029 due to slow growth and interconnection delays, and updating retirement dates for several coal and gas plants in Louisiana and Arkansas to reflect current utility filings and legal settlements.

The report defines clean firm generation as dispatchable, low-emission electricity sources that do not rely on weather, including nuclear fission, fusion, geothermal, and carbon-capture-enabled fossil or bioenergy. It argues that integrating these technologies can significantly lower the total amount of wind, solar, and storage capacity needed, thereby reducing land use, critical mineral requirements, and overall system costs. The authors identify a 'missing middle' or 'valley of death' in financing for these capital-intensive projects and propose a multi-layered policy approach—combining RD&D, direct procurement, and technology-neutral targets—to achieve systemic bankability.

The Institute for Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ) produces energy forecasts with significantly higher gas demand and carbon emissions than those of the IEA, ExxonMobil, and BP. This is driven by higher projected costs for solar and wind, a preference for thermal power as a backup to renewables, and optimistic forecasts for carbon capture and storage (CCS) deployment. The IEEJ maintains close ties to the Japanese government and industry, while Japan remains a major global financier and trader of gas.

Ember proposes four key actions for the EU Energy Commissioner: a "Smart Electrification" Action Plan to shift subsidies toward clean technologies, a "Future Grids" Task Force to implement existing grid policies, a joint DG ENER-DG AGRI strategy for agri-PV to align energy and agricultural policies, and a transition to open energy data and system models to improve transparency and investment decisions.

Ember proposes four primary initiatives for the EU Energy Commissioner: the creation of a "Future Grids" Task Force to coordinate grid policy and finance, a transition to open energy data and open-source system models, a joint DG ENER and DG AGRI strategy for agri-PV, and a "Smart Electrification" Action Plan to promote energy storage and demand-side flexibility.

The report identifies a 'planning gap' in Europe's trajectory toward 2050 climate neutrality and proposes that the updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) be transformed into comprehensive roadmaps. It recommends that Member States move beyond a narrow focus on renewables to include a diverse portfolio of clean firm energy (advanced nuclear, superhot rock geothermal), carbon capture and storage (CCS), and zero-carbon fuels. The authors emphasize the need for robust energy system modelling, cross-border infrastructure coordination, and the implementation of financial mechanisms like Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfD) to attract investment. Additionally, the report calls for a focused strategy to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas supply chain and the creation of a net-zero implementation tracker to ensure accountability.

The Home Efficiency Rebate program, established by the Inflation Reduction Act, provides $4.3 billion to incentivize whole-home retrofits for single-family and multifamily dwellings. Funding is distributed to state energy offices (SEOs) via formula, with rebate amounts scaling based on energy savings and doubling for low-income households. The guide recommends that states avoid subsidizing new fossil fuel appliances, stack incentives, and prioritize low-income access by setting spending goals of 40% to 80% of program funds for these households. It also suggests providing upfront rebates and utilizing zero-interest loans for Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties to avoid tax complications.

The Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) is a free, open-source tool developed by RMI and Energy Innovation to model the environmental, economic, and health impacts of energy policies across the lower 48 US states. The tool supports the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program by enabling states to calculate GHG inventories, project emissions through 2050, build scenarios to meet reduction targets, and quantify the co-benefits of mitigation measures, such as public health improvements and economic development.

The guide outlines five key tips for understanding decarbonization models, emphasizing that they are often deterministic 'black box' optimizations that may prioritize lowest cost over the best societal outcome, overlook non-electric sectors, undervalue grid reliability, present scenarios as predictions rather than possibilities, and rely on implausible assumptions regarding implementation and infrastructure.

The study evaluates six electricity generation scenarios for Kenya (2010-2040), finding that the 'Full Renewables' (FRE) and 'UN Agenda 2030 SDGs' (SDGs 2) scenarios offer the highest greenhouse gas abatement and lowest health impacts at the lowest costs. Under the SDGs and AU scenarios, GHG emissions are projected to be 99.7% and 97.6% lower, respectively, than the Vision 2030+Least Cost Power Development Plan (VLCPDP).

The document details a modeling framework combining EnergyPATHWAYS (EP) for demand-side stock accounting and the Regional Investment and Operations (RIO) model for supply-side least-cost optimization. It outlines nine scenarios for the U.S. energy transition, including a 'Zero CO2 2050' case and various electric vehicle (EV) adoption speeds. The methodology emphasizes high temporal and spatial resolution, co-optimizing electricity and fuel systems to meet economy-wide emissions constraints.

The briefing argues that achieving a 1.5°C future requires substantial reductions in absolute energy use, which can be achieved through incremental gains, technological breakthroughs, and systems-level design. It contends that traditional energy models, which rely on extrapolating past supply, systematically underestimate the potential of efficiency. Using Tesla as a case study, the document demonstrates how integrated design across the supply chain can drastically reduce costs and resource use. It recommends that businesses and policymakers move toward service-oriented models and innovate across supply chains to avoid stranded assets and capture new economic opportunities.

The report finds that the incremental cost of building ZER homes is modest, averaging 1.8%, while ZE homes average a 7.3% premium. These costs often fall below consumer willingness-to-pay and mortgage-savings thresholds. The analysis identifies heat pumps, LED lighting, and ENERGY STAR appliances as cost-optimal measures and projects that ZE incremental costs will drop to 3.1%–5.5% by 2030 due to declining solar PV costs and efficiency gains. It emphasizes the need for skilled labor training and supportive policy frameworks to accelerate adoption across various US climate zones.

The paper argues that existing transition models are often either purely quantitative or purely social, lacking a holistic view. By bridging an energy systems model with socio-technical analysis and local action studies, the authors aim to create a more realistic picture of the transition to a low-carbon residential heating system by 2050. The framework integrates niche innovations as scenario options, landscape signals as external drivers, and regime studies to identify governance barriers, while local action studies provide data on community attitudes.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) provides technical tools and research in Colombia to bridge science and policy across water management, energy transition, and sustainable sanitation. Key efforts include the use of WEAP for water resource planning, LEAP for low-emission energy modeling, and TRASE for mapping deforestation in agricultural supply chains. SEI also investigates the socio-economic transition away from thermal coal in the César and La Guajira departments and supports the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of the Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign, urges the Portfolio Committee on Energy to compel the Department of Energy to release key technical data and conduct fair public consultations before finalising the IRP Update and IEP. The submission highlights the Department's failure to respond to PAIA requests for modelling assumptions and tariff implications. It further argues that the current planning ignores the health and water costs of coal, the emissions of nitrous oxide from CFB technology, and the financial viability of new coal and nuclear plants. Citing studies by Meridian Economics and the Frankfurt Institute, the document asserts that accelerating the decommissioning of older coal stations and prioritising wind and solar PV is the most cost-effective path for South Africa's energy future.

A coalition of environmental and social justice organisations has formally objected to a planned 'energy indaba' scheduled for December 2017, arguing that it does not constitute meaningful public participation for the draft Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) and Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Update. The organisations claim the event's short notice and single venue in Gauteng exclude many affected parties. Furthermore, they allege that the Department of Energy has failed to provide critical technical reports and modelling data requested under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), which are essential for stakeholders to provide informed input on South Africa's energy future.

The SEI Initiative on Fossil Fuels and Climate Change, launched in January 2015, aims to analyze the factors influencing fossil fuel development and influence policies to align development with sustainable goals. The initiative argues that climate strategies must address both the demand and supply sides of fossil fuels, as infrastructure and institutions can lock in long-term dependency.

The document details the methodology for 'The Natural Gas Gamble' report, utilizing a modified National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) to compare three primary policy scenarios: Business as Usual, a Carbon Standard, and a Carbon Standard combined with renewable energy and energy efficiency policies. It outlines specific adjustments made to U.S. Department of Energy assumptions regarding capital costs and capacity factors for various energy technologies, including wind, solar, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage. Additionally, it describes sensitivity analyses based on high and low natural gas price projections and explains the calculations used to determine the social costs of carbon and the health benefits of reducing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.