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The paper defines Zombie Energy Systems (ZES) as outdated, inefficient, and environmentally harmful energy assets that persist in Africa despite being obsolete. It argues that the current international focus on new renewable energy projects overlooks the necessity of decommissioning or rehabilitating these failing systems, which include ageing power plants, inefficient grids, and second-hand appliances. The authors trace the origins of ZES to colonial legacies, poor maintenance, and political corruption, and propose a holistic strategy involving comprehensive system assessments, regulatory strengthening, and local capacity building to ensure a just and effective energy transition.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) conducted a quantitative analysis of 15 completed NEPA cases against 10 offshore wind projects to determine if environmental review litigation meaningfully delays development. The study found that NEPA litigation is largely unsuccessful in stopping projects, with only one case (Cape Wind) significantly contributing to a project's cancellation. The average length of a NEPA case was approximately 2.5 years, and none of the seven motions for preliminary injunctions in the dataset were granted. Instead, the document identifies the actual drivers of industry delays as strong community opposition, misinformation regarding right whales, supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and high interest rates. CATF concludes that gutting NEPA would not speed up development but would undermine informed decision-making and community engagement.

The U.S. hydrogen regulatory landscape is characterized by a fragmented system involving multiple government agencies across federal, state, and local levels. Federal oversight is distributed among agencies such as the EPA, DOE, and DOT, while states like Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota have assumed specific permitting responsibilities, such as Class VI Underground Injection Control primacy. There is currently no federal regulation specifically governing the siting and operation of pure hydrogen pipelines, leaving such oversight to state and local authorities. To address these complexities, the DOE's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office has funded projects to identify permitting and safety challenges across the value chain.

The document identifies significant gaps in Poland's draft updated NECP, arguing that the current 'with additional measures' (WAM) scenario is too limited and fails to meet the EU's 55% greenhouse gas reduction target. It recommends diversifying the clean energy portfolio to include clean firm power, prioritising clean hydrogen for hard-to-abate industrial sectors rather than light-duty transport or grid blending, and streamlining the regulatory framework for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Additionally, it highlights Poland's vast CO2 storage potential (over 15 Gt) and urges the government to implement Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfD) to de-risk CCS investments. The report also calls for a dedicated Methane Action Plan to address significant emissions from the oil, gas, and coal sectors, and suggests increasing R&D spending to 3% of GDP by 2030.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that the EU's Clean Industrial Deal must adopt a technology-neutral approach, integrating a diverse portfolio of low-carbon solutions including carbon capture, hydrogen, and small modular reactors. The brief emphasizes the need for coordinated cross-border infrastructure, particularly for CO2 transport and storage to avoid regional cost disparities, and calls for a robust funding strategy to bridge a projected €180 billion gap following the end of the Recovery and Resilience Facility in 2026. It further recommends targeted market measures, such as reforming public procurement and prioritizing clean hydrogen for hard-to-abate sectors like steel and shipping, while warning against the use of public funds for inefficient solutions like hydrogen blending.

The document argues that Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are heavily reliant on carbon-intensive heavy industries but possess significant potential for clean industry due to renewable energy resources and carbon dioxide storage. It calls for EU industrial policy to shift toward a place-based approach that supports countries with high deployment potential regardless of their current innovation track record. Key recommendations for the EU include revising the Public Procurement Directive to include lifecycle emissions and redesigning the Innovation Fund for first-of-a-kind national deployments. For CEE national governments, the statement recommends earmarking EU ETS revenues for climate action, implementing Carbon Contracts for Difference, and conducting integrated infrastructure planning for hydrogen and carbon dioxide transport.

The report identifies the waste sector as a critical source of methane in Brazil, primarily due to the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in landfills and open dumps. While Brazil has an ambitious regulatory framework, including the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) and the PLANARES plan, implementation is hindered by financial constraints, lack of technical expertise, and a failure to meet the 2024 deadline for closing open dumps. The document highlights opportunities in biomethane production, organic waste diversion (composting and anaerobic digestion), and international climate financing to help Brazil meet its NDC and Global Methane Pledge commitments.

The document details the state of methane emissions from Ecuador's waste sector, highlighting that waste contributed 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, with 92% of those being methane. It identifies significant gaps in national planning, local implementation, and technical capacity, particularly regarding organic waste treatment and biogas capture, and proposes a series of strategic opportunities for institutional and technical improvement.

The document details the state of waste-related methane emissions in Ecuador, highlighting that the waste sector contributed 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, with 92% of those emissions being methane. It identifies significant gaps in the institutional framework, such as the absence of specific methane targets and a lack of mandates for landfill gas capture. The analysis emphasizes that organic waste makes up 70% of the waste stream, yet treatment is limited to composting, with no anaerobic digestors in use. Proposed solutions focus on improving data quality, establishing standardized waste tariffs, and developing a national integrated solid waste management plan that incorporates circular economy principles.

The document outlines the state of methane emissions in Brazil's waste sector, identifying that 15% of national methane emissions in 2022 came from waste, with 68% of those originating from solid waste disposal. It details the institutional framework, current waste management statistics, and key challenges such as low recycling rates and the persistence of open dumps, while recommending improvements in organic waste treatment, landfill gas recovery, and regulatory enforcement.

The livestock sector in Paraguay accounted for 50.3% of national emissions in 2021, with 76.2% of those emissions coming from enteric fermentation. The document argues that integrating livestock development with methane mitigation can help Paraguay meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2030. Proposed strategies include improving productivity through genetic improvement and pasture management, enhancing knowledge management via demonstration units, and implementing incentive models such as green financial products and carbon markets. The workshop concluded with a call to form a multi-sectoral working group to develop a sector-wide strategy for reducing emissions intensity and enhancing efficiency.

In 2024, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) focused on defending U.S. EPA pollution standards in court, advancing superhot rock geothermal and nuclear energy, and reducing global methane emissions. The organization also worked on simplifying renewable energy siting in the U.S., analyzing the efficiency of hydrogen and carbon capture, and addressing high capital costs for clean energy in Africa. In Europe, CATF influenced the EU's 2040 climate targets and the Net Zero Industry Act, while continuing state-level implementation of federal funding in the U.S.

The Clean Air Task Force recommends that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) standardize application processes, increase staffing levels in the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), and decouple community benefits planning from initial project negotiations to improve the delivery of clean energy demonstration projects.

The document outlines the framework for state Clean Electricity Standards (CES), emphasizing that effective policies must be mandatory, technology-inclusive, and ambitious. It contrasts CES with Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) by highlighting the inclusion of clean firm resources like nuclear and carbon capture. The brief details various design options—such as retail sales vs. emission-based standards—and explains how federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) reduce implementation costs. It also discusses advanced features like clean capacity standards and hourly matching to accelerate the deployment of long-duration storage and firm clean power.

The document outlines federal resources for capacity building—defined as empowering organizations through funding and technical assistance—categorized into local energy/infrastructure planning, local health/environmental impacts, and workforce development. It details numerous programs from agencies such as the DOE, EPA, USDA, and DOT, ranging from the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund to smaller targeted grants like the $5 million Regional Energy Democracy Initiative. Additionally, it lists specific technical assistance providers and grant recipients for programs like Solar for All and RITAP.

The policy brief outlines how Poland can use its 2025 EU Council presidency to influence the EU's energy and climate agenda. It emphasizes the need for a technology-inclusive approach to industrial decarbonisation—including CCS and clean hydrogen—to address regional cost disparities and ensure energy security. The brief also highlights the importance of mitigating socioeconomic impacts through retraining and equitable state aid, while promoting diverse energy solutions such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and geothermal energy.

The policy brief suggests that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) should move away from siloed implementation of clean energy policies by adopting infrastructure deployment models from other sectors. It highlights the transportation model's integration of local needs, FEMA's multi-agency coordination in disaster response, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' use of local points of contact and transparency. The author recommends that the DOE prioritize local demand, employ a 'whole of government' approach to coordination, and modernize operations through the use of local engagement leads or regional interagency teams to accelerate clean energy infrastructure deployment.

The author reflects on the mixed progress of 2024, noting record renewable deployment alongside rising global emissions and a political shift toward anti-climate positions. To overcome these hurdles, the author proposes a strategy focused on the lowest-cost electricity mix, including 'clean firm' technologies like nuclear and geothermal, and the use of carbon capture in heavy industry. The document emphasizes the need for regionally differentiated policies and a realistic acknowledgment of the long-term role of fossil fuels to build durable coalitions for action.

The Clean Air Task Force asserts that the DOE has the legal authority under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to fund hydrogen refueling stations and delivery infrastructure on transportation corridors using Regional Hydrogen Hubs funding. The author argues that the statutory term "close proximity" should be interpreted broadly to include these corridors to facilitate a national clean hydrogen network and achieve the goal of eliminating emissions from the transportation sector.

The document outlines a three-phase framework for states to maximize federal clean energy funding: Identification, Collaboration, and Implementation. It details a wide array of available federal grants, loans, and tax credits across generation, transmission, energy efficiency, and workforce development, emphasizing the role of the DOE, EPA, and USDA in supporting the transition to a clean power system.