Search Climate Insights Directory

Ember's feedback on the JETP CIPP highlights critical gaps in the plan, particularly the exclusion of captive power emissions, which may lead to 2030 emissions exceeding the 290 MT CO2 target. The organization recommends increasing solar targets, reassessing wind deployment locations, and questioning the sustainability and viability of bioenergy. Ember also criticizes the coal retirement timeline, noting that the CIPP's plan to retire only 1.7 GW by 2040 contradicts the Indonesian government's more ambitious goals and the IEA's 1.5 degree scenario. Additionally, the document calls for greater transparency in GFANZ financing, comprehensive risk assessments regarding US political stability, and urgent policy reforms to end coal subsidies and prohibit new coal plants in the industrial sector.

The report evaluates solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) technology, highlighting its superior electrical efficiency when integrated with external heat sources, such as those found in steel, chemical, and nuclear plants. While the technology is more mature than often perceived—leveraging experience from the gigawatt-scale solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) industry—it faces challenges regarding stack durability due to high-temperature thermal stress and the need to scale from small modules to hundred-megawatt systems. The report finds that raw material supply chains are not a bottleneck and that gigawatt-scale manufacturing is feasible within 18 to 36 months.

The report finds that while CETP signatories have made significant progress in restricting fossil fuel finance, they have lagged in scaling up clean energy support. In 2022, signatories shifted USD 6.5 billion out of fossil fuels but only USD 5.2 billion into clean energy. Most high-income signatories lack concrete, publicly available targets and strategies to 'fully prioritize' clean energy, and financing remains heavily concentrated in upper- and middle-income countries, with no low-income countries among the top 20 recipients between 2020 and 2022.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) analysis concludes that the United States can meet its climate goals through a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels and a transition to clean energy, which would yield significant economic and public health benefits. While the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provide critical momentum, the report finds that the U.S. will fall short of its 2030 goals without additional robust policies. The most effective near-term strategy is the decarbonization of the power sector via wind and solar, while long-term reductions depend on the electrification of transportation, buildings, and industry. The report emphasizes that reducing overall energy demand can lower the required scale of new infrastructure and that a just transition must prioritize marginalized communities and hold fossil fuel companies accountable.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) analysis finds that while the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) accelerate emissions reductions, additional policies are required to meet US climate targets. Achieving net-zero by 2050 requires a rapid phaseout of fossil fuels, a massive scale-up of wind, solar, and energy storage, and expanded electrification and energy efficiency. The report argues that the health and climate benefits of this transition—including avoided premature deaths and reduced climate-caused damage—significantly outweigh the energy system costs.

The submission argues that the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill [B23 – 2023] lacks sufficient provisions for a just transition, energy decentralisation, and transparency. It specifically criticises the potential for grid privatisation through wheeling agreements, the lack of regulatory support for energy storage and small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), and the expansion of Ministerial discretion over the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and procurement processes. The authors also object to proposed confidentiality clauses that could limit public access to licence applications and call for stronger public participation requirements aligned with PAJA and PAIA.

The report finds that while wind, solar, and battery prices have recently leveled off or risen due to supply chain disruptions, trade issues, and high interest rates, they remain competitive with fossil fuels. It argues that the long-term trend of cost reduction will continue and recommends that regulators use competitive procurement, leverage Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives, and reform interconnection and transmission planning to lower costs.

The report argues that empowering consumers to manage their energy demand and production can shift approximately 900 TWh—about 27% of global residential electricity consumption—away from fossil fuels. It categorizes empowerment solutions into supply-side (e.g., 24/7 PPAs, energy cooperatives, P2P trading), demand-side (e.g., time-of-use tariffs, on-bill schemes), and data-based (e.g., smart meters, granular energy certificates) interventions. The document emphasizes that the path to 24/7 CFE varies by country maturity, dividing nations into 'Potential', 'Progressive', 'Aspirer', and 'Frontier' archetypes, each requiring different policy 'recipes' to overcome barriers such as low smart meter penetration and restrictive electricity market regulations.

RMI provides recommendations for Indonesia's coal transition based on a model applied to the Java-Bali grid, emphasizing the integration of coal retirement and clean energy deployment to ensure financial feasibility and emissions reductions.

The submission argues that the draft SAREM over-relies on private investment and fails to sufficiently address the impact of the global supply chain crisis on renewable energy costs. It advocates for a state-led industrial policy, including the use of import tariffs and the central role of Eskom in renewable generation, to avoid 'boom-bust' cycles and ensure a just transition for workers. Key recommendations include establishing a 'decent work' framework, implementing aggressive local content requirements (suggesting 50% for future RFPs), and creating a technology transfer system to support local manufacturing.

The authors suggest that Europe can accelerate its energy transition by adopting four principles from U.S. policies like the Inflation Reduction Act: supporting a diverse technology mix, tailoring support to development stages, addressing non-cost barriers, and providing policy clarity. Specifically, the document recommends expanding support beyond wind and solar to include nuclear, carbon capture, and zero-carbon fuels, while reducing regulatory complexity and permitting delays that currently hinder project deployment.

The document outlines how to develop a competitive proposal for the EPA's Solar for All program, part of the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. It provides detailed guidance on five key evaluation criteria: impact assessment, meaningful benefits, market strategy, financial assistance, and equitable access. The guide emphasizes reducing upfront costs, leveraging federal tax credits via third-party ownership, and integrating energy efficiency to maximize benefits for disadvantaged communities.

The survey reveals high levels of concern regarding air and water quality, particularly among Hispanic and Black communities. While there is strong support for the clean energy transition and interest in related careers, significant barriers exist, including lack of education, financial insecurity, and low awareness of job opportunities. Trust in government is low, while trust in scientists and family is high.

Industrial thermal batteries can convert electricity into high-temperature heat (1,500-1,700°C), potentially displacing 75% of U.S. industrial non-feedstock energy demand. The report analyzes two primary deployment modes: 'generation-following' (off-grid renewables) and 'price-hunting' (grid-connected, price-responsive). It finds that these batteries can provide heat at $35 to $62 per MWh, making them competitive with natural gas. The authors recommend financial incentives via the Inflation Reduction Act and reforms to electricity tariffs to reward the grid flexibility these batteries provide.

The policy brief highlights a gap between current European electricity interconnection expansion plans and the actual needs of the power system. It asserts that doubling interconnection capacity is essential to integrate renewables cost-effectively and reduce reliance on fossil gas. The author identifies critical border corridors requiring urgent attention and proposes three pathways forward: accelerating the 22 GW of projects already in the pipeline, investing in non-wire solutions like storage and demand response, or increasing domestic renewable capacities at a higher cost.

The document examines the devastation of Lytton in 2021 and proposes a reconstruction framework based on 'physiological foundations' to ensure climate resilience. It highlights the Kanaka Bar Indian Band's proactive investments in site-specific weather monitoring, gravity-fed water systems, controlled-environment agriculture, and passive housing design as scalable models for 62,000 other high-risk Canadian communities.

The briefing highlights the potential of the DOE's Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) Program, a component of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), to provide low-interest loans for clean energy projects, workforce development, and grid upgrades. RMI argues that by leveraging EIR funding, IOUs can replace fossil assets earlier than planned, resulting in higher profits for shareholders and more stable power bills for customers. Despite these benefits, RMI's analysis of utility earnings calls indicates that IOUs are not yet discussing the EIR program with investors.

China has established global leadership in renewable energy, with utility-scale solar capacity of 228 GW and wind capacity exceeding 310 GW as of Q1 2023. The country is pursuing an ambitious target of over 1,200 GW of combined wind and solar capacity by 2030, supported by the '14th Five-Year Plan' and the development of massive 'wind-solar bases' in desert regions. While integrating these sources through ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission and new energy storage technologies, China continues to utilize coal-fired power as a 'bottom-line' guarantee for grid stability, which may hinder the complete phase-out of fossil fuels.

China has established itself as the global leader in renewable energy, with operating large utility-scale solar capacity of 228 GW and combined wind capacity exceeding 310 GW. The country is pursuing a strategy of 'mega wind and solar bases' in its northern and northwestern deserts to meet a central government target of 1,200 GW of cumulative capacity by 2030, a goal it is likely to surpass by 2025. This expansion is driven by a combination of historical feed-in tariffs, favorable financing from state-owned banks, and strict provincial targets. However, the report notes that new renewables bases are often bundled with new coal-fired power plants to manage intermittency, potentially hindering the phase-out of fossil fuels. To address volatility, China is implementing 'source-grid-load-storage' integration, expanding new energy storage, and developing green hydrogen production.

The document argues that while consumer-led battery deployment is rapid, grid-scale energy storage—particularly batteries—is a strategic priority that remains under-developed in South Africa. It details how storage can reduce load shedding, optimize existing grid infrastructure, and support a just energy transition by providing public benefits. The authors recommend the development of national and municipal strategies to create an enabling environment for grid battery deployment.