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The document argues that electric utilities are critical partners in the transition to electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. It recommends three primary investment models—make-ready, end-to-end ownership, and rebate incentives—and suggests restructuring commercial rates to eliminate or reduce demand charges. The guide emphasizes prioritizing disadvantaged communities burdened by air pollution and implementing 'managed charging' to optimize grid stability and integrate renewable energy.

The document examines various energy storage solutions, including pumped-storage hydropower, batteries, and compressed air, highlighting their capacity to mitigate the intermittency of solar and wind power. It details the dominance of pumped-storage hydropower in the U.S. utility-scale market and the rapid growth of lithium-ion batteries. The text also outlines specific state-level storage targets in the U.S. and global projections for storage capacity needed to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius.

ClientEarth argues that the UK's Capacity Market (CM) may be over-procuring capacity and risks subsidising fossil fuels, thereby undermining the coal phase-out and the Paris Agreement. The organisation recommends making Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) and LCP BREF compliance mandatory for CM entry, removing very long-term contracts to prevent fossil-fuel lock-in, and reducing financial barriers for demand-side response (DSR) and storage. It further suggests introducing a specific 'climate and competition' objective for the CM and reforming the cost-recovery methodology to provide sharper price signals for DSR. ClientEarth also calls for an independent resource adequacy assessment that accounts for the growth of distributed energy resources and interconnection.

The Wood River Power Station in East Alton, Illinois, retired in 2016, leaving behind hazardous coal ash ponds that pose risks to groundwater and human life. Despite these dangers, the site's existing utility infrastructure makes it a viable candidate for a 46 megawatt solar farm and 10 megawatts of storage, which could support local economic development and leverage the Future Energy Jobs Act.

The briefing highlights the momentum of corporate and municipal climate commitments and advocates for a 'next generation' of low-carbon solutions. It suggests that moving beyond simple wind and solar additions to include technologies like energy storage, nuclear energy, and demand response—implemented through utility-customer partnerships—can more effectively 'green' the grid and reduce overall system emissions at a lower cost.

The document argues that the US is losing its leadership in energy storage to countries like China and requires strategic federal RD&D to overcome private sector investment gaps. It identifies critical research priorities—including long-duration storage, systems integration, and cost reduction—and recommends a diverse portfolio of high-risk research, expanded public-private partnerships, and the creation of a federal energy storage roadmap.

The report finds that building electrification is generally cost-effective for new construction and for customers switching from propane or heating oil, but often more expensive for existing natural gas customers at current prices. It argues that electrification reduces carbon emissions in most US regions, except those heavily dependent on coal, though this is expected to change as coal plants retire. The authors emphasize that demand flexibility—shifting energy use to low-cost or high-renewable periods—can further improve economics and grid integration. Key recommendations include prioritizing the electrification of oil and propane homes, stopping the expansion of natural gas infrastructure, and updating energy efficiency standards to account for total energy reduction across fuels.

India faces twin challenges as it scales renewable energy: the need for increased grid flexibility and the risk of coal-based plants becoming economically unviable due to falling plant load factors (PLFs). The report argues that transitioning existing coal plants into flexible resources is a cost-effective short-term solution. This conversion requires technical retrofits to allow for lower minimum loads, reduced start-up times, and increased ramp rates. While this path involves incremental costs of 5-10% of total project costs in NPV terms, it is significantly cheaper than deploying lithium-ion batteries or pumped hydro. The report recommends market-based mechanisms, such as capacity auctions and revised power purchase agreements, to compensate plant owners and ensure a transition toward a low-carbon electricity system.

The report finds that India's renewable energy power sector has historically been less risky and more lucrative than the fossil fuel sector, with higher risk-adjusted returns. Investor perceptions align with this, viewing renewables as safer, though solar is perceived as less risky than wind. The primary drivers of risk for both sectors are counterparty risk (specifically DISCOM non-payment), grid/transmission inadequacy, and financial sector constraints. Fossil fuel investments face additional significant risks from power market volatility and resource uncertainty, particularly for natural gas.

The report challenges the assumption that energy storage automatically reduces greenhouse gas emissions, noting that certain situations can lead to increased emissions. It advocates for policy reforms at state and federal levels to correct poor incentives, specifically recommending the accurate pricing of greenhouse gas externalities, the removal of entry barriers for storage systems, and the elimination of obstacles preventing storage from accessing multiple value streams for its services.

The report analyzes the financial instability of electricity distribution companies (discoms) in Uttar Pradesh, where a significant revenue gap of INR 21,486 crores existed in FY16. It examines consumer attitudes toward tariff hikes, revealing that while most expect increases, there is strong opposition to them unless linked to service improvements. The report also evaluates the UDAY scheme, finding that while it has reduced interest costs through bond issuance, progress on key operational milestones like smart metering and feeder segregation has been limited. Recommendations include improving rural metering, implementing targeted compensation for vulnerable users, and enhancing communication strategies to build public support for cost-reflective tariffs.

The briefing examines how commercial electricity rate designs, specifically noncoincident demand charges, incentivize customers to flatten their load profiles using battery storage. While this reduces individual bills, it often conflicts with the needs of grids with high renewable penetration, where flexible demand is required to match variable generation. The author suggests transitioning to peak-coincident demand charges, time-of-use rates, or real-time pricing to better align customer behavior with system-wide costs and grid stability.

In 2017, renewables generated 30% of Europe's electricity for the first time, with wind, solar, and biomass overtaking coal generation. However, overall EU greenhouse gas emissions rose by approximately 1% due to increasing electricity consumption and a significant drop in hydro generation, which was the lowest this century. While Western European nations like the Netherlands, Italy, and Portugal announced coal phase-outs, Eastern European countries continued to rely on coal. The report also highlights the impact of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) reforms and the ongoing negotiations of the Clean Energy for All Europeans package.

ABB installed a microgrid at its Longmeadow facility in Johannesburg, combining a 750 kWp solar PV plant and a 1 MVA/ 380 kWh lithium-ion battery system. This 'power island' allows the facility to operate autonomously during grid disturbances, which previously occurred every three days on average. The system is managed by a cloud-based Microgrid Plus Control System that balances renewable and fossil-fuel sources. Since June 2016, the project has reduced annual diesel fuel consumption by 27% and diesel generator use by 76%, resulting in annual energy cost savings of US$150,000 and a reduction of approximately 1,000 tons of carbon emissions per year.

RMI's Sunshine for Mines program proposes a systematic approach to repurposing legacy mine sites, which are often liabilities due to contamination and maintenance costs, into productive energy assets. The methodology involves a multi-stage screening process covering environmental and regulatory constraints, technical feasibility (resource screening and reserve quantification), and financial viability via Net Present Value (NPV) calculations. The brief highlights that while mining companies often face high hurdle rates, the economic case is strengthened when compared to the 'business-as-usual' cost of maintaining closed sites. A practical application of this model with BHP in North America identified a subset of sites with a collective potential exceeding 0.5 GW, primarily for solar PV.

The report argues that the electric vehicle revolution is inevitable due to falling battery costs and increasing consumer demand, making the urgent deployment of charging infrastructure a priority for U.S. utilities and regulators. It identifies high capital costs and unfavorable utility tariffs—specifically high demand charges—as primary barriers to the profitability of DC fast charging (DCFC). The authors advocate for a mix of Level 2 chargers for residential and workplace needs and DCFC for high-traffic corridors, supported by time-of-use (TOU) tariffs to optimize grid integration. Through case studies of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Ohio, and Texas, the report demonstrates how different regulatory environments and grid compositions influence the cost of charging and the potential for EVs to absorb excess renewable energy.

The document analyzes the proposed EU DSO entity, identifying risks such as conflicts of interest in drafting Network Codes (NCs) and potential discrimination against smaller market players. It evaluates four options: scrapping the proposal, creating an independent Consultation Forum, embedding strong regulatory safeguards, or limiting the EU DSO's mandate while transferring rule-setting tasks to ACER. The author concludes that a combination of strong safeguards and a limited consultative mandate is the most desirable approach to ensure non-discrimination and alignment with EU climate and energy goals.

The report examines the potential for electric vehicles to act as flexible loads to balance electricity supply and demand, particularly to mitigate the 'duck curve' caused by high solar penetration. It analyzes technical barriers, utility roles, and rate designs, concluding that managed charging can reduce system costs and emissions if aligned with clean energy availability.

The document provides a detailed analysis of energy access and efficiency across high-impact countries, highlighting a significant gap between urban and rural electrification and the critical role of enabling policy frameworks. It reports that 3.04 billion people lacked clean cooking access in 2014 and 1.06 billion lacked electricity. While some countries like India, Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda show strong policy support for energy access, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the least electrified region with underdeveloped policy environments. The report also examines energy efficiency and renewable energy, noting that while renewable energy targets are nearly universal, energy efficiency mandates often lag, particularly in developing nations.

The analysis finds that high utility demand charges are a primary barrier to the profitability of public DCFC operators, sometimes accounting for over 90% of electricity costs. By modeling current usage data from 230 California stations across four future EV growth scenarios, the report demonstrates that proposed EV-specific tariffs from Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)—which reduce or eliminate demand charges—would significantly lower costs and enable a more sustainable business model. The authors argue for a shift toward time-varying volumetric rates and the socialization of some infrastructure costs to meet California's transportation electrification goals.