Search Climate Insights Directory

This executive summary by RMI describes orders issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in June 2026 directing six regional grid operators to reform their tariffs and processes for interconnecting large loads, such as data centers, to the transmission system.

This briefing analyzes the PJM Board's January 2026 decision regarding the Critical Issue Fast Path for Large Load Additions (CIFP-LLA). It outlines how states within the PJM region can implement retail-level policies—such as specialized tariffs and improved forecasting—to manage the surge in data center electricity demand without increasing costs for residential ratepayers or compromising grid reliability.

This guide explains the process that transmission providers and large load customers, such as data centers, use to connect loads exceeding 20 megawatts (MW) to the electric grid. It details the six-step interconnection process, the distinction between customer interconnection facilities and network upgrades, and the regulatory roles of FERC and state PUCs in cost allocation.

This report by Ember examines how artificial intelligence (AI) can accelerate the integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) in ASEAN power systems. It identifies five commercially proven AI applications—forecasting, predictive maintenance, dispatch optimisation, real-time control, and dynamic line rating—that address the technical challenges of wind and solar variability to improve grid stability, reduce operational costs, and defer expensive transmission investments.

This report examines the structural and operational drivers of renewable energy curtailment in India in 2025, highlighting the roles of demand forecasting errors, limited system flexibility, and transmission bottlenecks. It distinguishes between emergency curtailment via Tertiary Reserve Ancillary Services (TRAS) and structural curtailment caused by inadequate transmission infrastructure, particularly affecting projects under the temporary general network access (T-GNA) framework.

This policy brief by Ember analyses the failure of India's early offshore wind auctions and outlines the systemic barriers preventing the sector's growth. It argues that rigid auction designs, a lack of domestic supply chains for high-capacity turbines, and transmission risks have deterred developers, and recommends adopting flexible international best practices to unlock the country's offshore wind potential.

This policy brief by RMI argues that PJM's slow interconnection process and high network upgrade costs are driving a capacity crisis in the mid-Atlantic grid. The document highlights how the time required to bring new generation online has increased to eight years, causing capacity auction prices to skyrocket and increasing costs for ratepayers. RMI proposes four primary solutions: implementing third-party automation software, reforming Energy Resource Interconnection Service (ERIS), utilizing advanced transmission technologies (ATTs), and prioritizing proactive regional transmission planning.

This briefing by RMI explains the critical role of regional transmission in the western grid, describing it as an interconnected system where states act as both importers and exporters of electricity to maintain reliability and affordability.

This report by Ember analyzes the challenge of solar and wind energy curtailment in Chile, where renewable generation has grown rapidly but is hindered by limited transmission and storage capacity. It proposes a phased package of policy and technical measures—including battery storage, dynamic line rating, and demand response markets—to reduce waste and maximize the potential of Chile's clean energy resources over the next five years.

This report by RMI examines the potential of advanced transmission technologies (ATTs)—comprising grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) and advanced conductors—to expand electricity grid capacity and reliability. While pilot projects in the United States have demonstrated success in increasing capacity and reducing costs, the report identifies significant barriers to scaling these solutions, including risk aversion, financial disincentives, and a failure to integrate ATTs into long-term grid planning. RMI suggests that large corporate energy users can accelerate adoption through policy advocacy and by facilitating coordination between utilities across different service territories.

This technical appendix details the benefit-cost analysis (BCA) methodology used by RMI to evaluate seven transmission projects. It outlines the calculation of three core benefits—congestion relief, resource adequacy, and public policy savings—and describes the financial models used to determine costs based on ownership structure (investor-owned, public power, or independent merchant).

This policy brief provides guidance for utility modelers and regulators on integrating the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program into capacity expansion modeling. It outlines a three-step approach to maximize ratepayer savings: modeling portfolio-wide financing savings, prioritizing 'clean repowering' at existing fossil sites, and optimizing transmission investments. The document emphasizes the urgency of applying for EIR funding by the end of 2025 to meet the September 30, 2026, conditional commitment deadline.

This report by Energy Innovation provides a guide for state policymakers to leverage the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 to accelerate the transition to clean electricity. It details the mechanics of clean energy tax credits, reinvestment financing for fossil infrastructure, and transmission provisions, while analyzing independent modeling of the IRA's potential to reduce U.S. electricity sector emissions and lower household energy costs by 2030.

This statement from RMI argues that the United States must rapidly expand its long-range transmission infrastructure to cost-effectively decarbonize the economy, as the most efficient wind and solar resources are often distant from consumption centers. It supports a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) aimed at improving regional planning and cost allocation for transmission projects.

RMI argues that utility-scale energy production and local electricity production, such as rooftop solar, are complementary rather than competing solutions for the energy transition in the United States.

This fact sheet details a BRL 530 million (USD 131 million) green bond issued by Transmissora Serra da Mantiqueira (TSM), a special purpose vehicle controlled by the Brazilian energy holding company Alupar, to finance transmission infrastructure connected to Brazil's national grid.

This briefing by RMI describes the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) as an attractive market for corporate buyers of renewable energy due to its strong wind resources, market improvements, and a robust pipeline of planned wind capacity.

This briefing from Energy Innovation provides a blueprint for U.S. state policymakers to mitigate the economic impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) by removing barriers to clean energy deployment to lower costs and attract private investment.