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In 2022, Türkiye's coal generation returned to its previous peak of 113.6 TWh, driven largely by imported coal, with Russia becoming the primary supplier and the import bill reaching a record $5.3 billion. While wind and solar combined for a 15.5% share of generation, solar deployment lags behind its potential and faces grid capacity barriers. Hydropower proved critical for energy security during a ten-day gas supply disruption from Iran in January 2022, demonstrating its flexibility as a complement to variable renewables.

The Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Indiana has significantly reduced its carbon footprint and energy costs through a series of sustainable upgrades. Central to these efforts was the 2007 completion of a 31,500 square foot library, which became the first LEED-certified theological library in North America by utilizing a ground-source geothermal heat pump system and other high-performance design elements. Between 2013 and 2022, the seminary decreased its annual energy consumption by approximately two-thirds by implementing recommendations from an ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit, replacing outdated 1950s boilers with fuel-efficient models, and installing two solar arrays (50-kW and 80-kW) that have offset over 320 tons of carbon emissions.

The report analyzes the Brazilian sustainable securitization market, highlighting the dominance of green labels and the potential for asset-backed securities (ABS) to fund small-scale sustainable projects in agriculture and energy.

The report analyzes Brazil's sustainable securitisation market, highlighting the role of Agribusiness Receivables Certificates (CRA) and Real Estate Receivables Certificates (CRI) in funding green and social projects. It identifies a significant opportunity to use ABS to aggregate small-scale sustainable projects, particularly in agriculture and renewable energy, to attract institutional capital.

A survey of 861 registered U.S. voters in Spring 2023 reveals broad support for clean energy research, tax rebates for energy efficiency, and local climate-friendly infrastructure. While 71% support the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 after reading a description, only 11% believe the U.S. government is responding well to global warming. There is a significant gap between the willingness of voters to take political action and their actual engagement over the past year.

The document analyzes plans for €3.5 billion in new gas-fired power plants, pipelines, and LNG terminals in the Western Balkans. It argues that these projects, promoted by EU and U.S. institutions, would create a dependency on volatile gas markets and risk creating stranded assets, contradicting the region's carbon-neutral goals and the EU's 2050 targets.

Colombia possesses significant wind and solar potential, estimated at 30 GW and 32 GW respectively, though installed capacity remained low at approximately 1.5% of the electrical matrix in 2022. A strong increase is projected by 2027, potentially reaching nearly 40% of capacity if approved projects are operationalized. The document details a robust incentive framework including tax deductions and VAT exemptions, alongside mechanisms for community benefit distribution and indigenous rights. While investment reached record levels in 2021, the sector faces challenges in gender representation and the need for stronger policies to ensure local employment and social equity.

Colombia possesses significant wind and solar potential, particularly in the La Guajira region, though these sources represented only 1.5% of the capacity mix in 2022. The document details a robust framework of incentives—including tax deductions and VAT exemptions—and predicts that approved projects could increase the solar and wind share of the capacity mix to nearly 40% by 2027. It also examines financing mechanisms, environmental licensing, and the integration of social safeguards such as Free Prior Informed Consent and benefit-sharing schemes for Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

The briefing argues that the EU is on course to reach a 45% renewable energy share by 2030, rendering the current 40% Fit-for-55 target outdated. This trajectory is driven by solar capacity growth, heat pump adoption, and electric vehicle expansion, which are all outpacing original policy forecasts.

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides grants and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. Funded through the 2018 Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, the program supports technologies such as solar, wind, and biomass, and implements a tiered application process based on project cost.

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.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the EU saw a record increase in wind and solar generation, which together provided 23% of total electricity. This growth saved the EU €12 billion in avoided gas costs and contributed to a significant drop in Russian gas import reliance, from approximately 40% before the invasion to 16% in the period analyzed.

The UK's Contracts for Difference (CfD) policy, introduced in 2014, uses a competitive auction system to provide price certainty for large-scale renewable energy projects, primarily offshore wind. By guaranteeing a 'strike price' and utilizing a two-way payment mechanism, the policy reduces private-sector investment risk and lowers the cost of capital. While successful in driving down costs and increasing capacity—with the fourth allocation round adding nearly 11 gigawatts—the policy is noted as regressive due to its funding via a consumer levy. The author suggests Canada could adapt this model for mature technologies, carbon capture, and clean hydrogen, emphasizing the need for independent administration and robust market competition.

The UK's Contracts for Difference (CfD) policy, established in 2014, uses a competitive auction system to provide price certainty for renewable energy developers, significantly reducing financial risk and lowering the cost of capital. By bridging the gap between wholesale market prices and a fixed 'strike price' over 15-year contracts, the policy has driven down the cost of offshore wind by 65-75% since 2015. While the system is funded by consumers through electricity bills—making it regressive—it is administered by the independent Low Carbon Contracts Company to minimize political risk. The document suggests Canada could adapt this model for proven technologies like carbon capture and storage or clean hydrogen, emphasizing the need for competitive markets and independent administration.

The pilot project in Bassa, Nigeria, utilized Okra's mesh-grid technology to create a 'Hub-and-Spoke' topology, allowing high-powered prosumers and businesses to share excess renewable energy with low-powered residential households. This configuration reduced the average CAPEX cost per connection from an initial estimate of $642 to $450 and enabled the energization of 46 more households than originally planned. The network currently maintains over 99% up-time, though the actual Average Revenue per User (ARPU) of ₦3,500 Naira is ₦500 lower than the ₦4,000 Naira target. Following the pilot's success, Creeds Energy is seeking funding for a 1,000-household scale-up across 18 additional locations.

RMI developed the Local Energy Action Framework (LEAF) to help US local governments move from setting carbon-neutrality goals to implementing efficient energy projects. By analyzing six US cities and counties, the framework emphasizes a holistic approach that considers the interaction between energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable procurement. Key findings suggest that prioritizing high-demand facilities like water treatment plants for efficiency and using flexible loads or batteries to manage peak demand are critical for achieving 24/7 clean electricity. The guide also highlights that while electrification significantly reduces emissions, it increases building loads, necessitating the use of efficient technologies like heat pumps and the procurement of off-site non-solar renewable energy to fill remaining gaps.

The report finds that U.S. solar and wind capacity grew to over 238 GW in 2022, generating 683,130 GWh of electricity. Texas and California emerged as the primary drivers of this growth, with Texas leading in wind capacity and generation, and California leading in solar generation. While historical growth rates might leave the U.S. short of 2030 benchmarks set by the Net-Zero America project, the report suggests that the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides the necessary incentives to accelerate the transition toward the 2050 net-zero goal.

The report argues that the rapid deployment of renewable energy in the Global South often mirrors the destructive patterns of the fossil fuel era, leading to 'green grabbing' and 'energy colonialism'. Through case studies, it demonstrates how mega-solar projects in India and lithium mining in Argentina displace communities and deplete water resources, while political obstacles and outdated grids hinder decentralized energy access in Bangladesh and Palestine. The document advocates for a feminist energy transition centered on energy sovereignty, small-scale decentralized technology, and the protection of land and water rights.

The report argues that the rapid deployment of renewable energy in the Global South often mirrors the harms of the fossil fuel era, leading to 'green grabbing' and 'green energy colonialism'. Through case studies, it documents the displacement of rural and pastoral communities in India, the impact of Israeli occupation on energy sovereignty in Palestine, political apathy toward decentralized solar in Bangladesh, and the ecological threats posed by lithium extraction in Argentina. It emphasizes that without community control, gender equality, and rigorous environmental oversight, the energy transition risks sacrificing the rights of marginalized peoples for a perceived global collective interest.

The report argues that the rapid scale-up of renewables in the Global South often replicates 'energy colonialism' and 'green grabbing,' where land and resources are appropriated for climate goals while host communities suffer from loss of livelihoods, water scarcity, and continued energy poverty. Through case studies in India, Palestine, Bangladesh, and Argentina, it highlights systemic barriers including patriarchal structures that exclude women from decision-making, outdated grid infrastructure, and a lack of effective environmental impact assessments. It recommends a shift toward small-scale, socially controlled, and decentralized renewable energy that prioritizes human rights and ecological conservation over corporate profit.