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Ember proposes a comprehensive overhaul of European grid policy, arguing that electricity grids should be treated as strategic infrastructure for economic growth. Key recommendations include establishing a 'one-stop-shop' for financing, mandating independent and integrated infrastructure planning across energy carriers, and extending national planning horizons to 20 years. The briefing also advocates for a shift toward TOTEX-based regulatory approaches to incentivise flexibility and grid-enhancing technologies (GETs), alongside the standardisation of data sharing between transmission and distribution system operators to improve visibility of distributed assets and grid capacity.

Drax power station is the UK's largest carbon emitter, with 2024 emissions of 13.3 million tonnes of CO2e, a 16% increase over the previous year. Despite the complete phase-out of coal power in September 2024, biomass and gas plants continue to dominate the top emitter rankings. Drax is projected to remain the largest emitter through 2030, even with planned subsidy cuts starting in 2027. Other significant emitters include Port Talbot Steelworks and Pembroke gas power station, while carbon capture deployment across the UK's largest industrial sites has seen limited progress.

The report finds that China's consumer goods trade-in programme could accelerate the annual efficiency improvement rate of its room air conditioner (RAC) stock by up to 70% in 2025. This shift could reduce residential cooling electricity use by 3.4% to 4.1% during the summer of 2025, potentially saving consumers up to $943 million USD on electricity bills. The programme, part of the "Two New" policy, provides subsidies of 15% for Grade 2 and 20% for Grade 1 energy efficiency models, effectively steering consumers toward the most efficient units. This initiative aligns China's economic goal of boosting domestic consumption with its energy transition and decarbonisation targets.

In June 2025, solar power became the largest source of electricity in the EU, generating 22.1% of the total supply. This milestone coincided with record-high wind generation for May and June and a record low for coal's share of electricity. However, the first half of 2025 saw an overall increase in fossil fuel generation, driven by higher gas use and lower hydropower output due to drought.

The June–July 2025 heatwave in Europe increased electricity demand by up to 14% and caused average daily power prices to double or triple in several countries. While record solar generation of 45 TWh in June 2025 helped maintain daytime stability, the heatwave triggered thermal power plant outages, particularly affecting France's nuclear fleet. The report argues for the deployment of battery storage, interconnection, and demand flexibility to mitigate future extreme weather risks.

BRICS nations now generate over half of the world's solar power, driven primarily by China, India, and Brazil. In 2024, these countries accounted for 51% of global solar electricity generation, with China alone contributing 39%. Solar power met 37% of the total increase in electricity generation across BRICS members in 2024, contributing to a total clean energy share of 70% for new generation growth. While China, India, and Brazil show strong continued growth in 2025, other members like Russia, Indonesia, and Egypt lag in solar deployment or remain dependent on fossil fuels.

The document outlines the technical framework for the Europe Electricity Interconnection Data Tool, detailing how Ember maps Bidding Zones to countries and calculates key metrics like Net Transfer Capacity (NTC) and variable RES penetration. It specifies the use of ENTSO-E and TYNDP 2024 data to provide current (2024) and future (2030, 2040) snapshots of European grid characteristics, including 'Reference', 'Projects', and 'Needs' scenarios for grid expansion.

The report argues that rapid declines in battery costs have made near-continuous solar power (24/365 generation) an economic reality in sunny regions. In cities like Las Vegas, achieving 97% reliability for a constant power supply is now cost-competitive at $104/MWh, which is cheaper than new coal and nuclear power. The analysis demonstrates that a relatively small amount of storage—approximately 17 kWh of battery for every 1 kW of stable 24-hour power—is sufficient for most sunny locations. This shift allows solar to support 24/7 clean energy contracts for energy-intensive industries and significantly reduces the need for expensive grid expansions by allowing more capacity to be installed behind existing connections.

Ember's submission to the Independent Review of Greenhouse Gas Removals warns against overreliance on Power BECCS, citing significant delays at the Drax power station, technological uncertainty, and high costs to consumers. The document highlights that Drax's BECCS project has been delayed to the early 2030s despite substantial public subsidies and that the technology's carbon neutrality is scientifically contested. Ember notes a 60.1% decrease in estimated residual emissions to be balanced by engineered removals between the 6th and 7th Carbon Budgets. It further argues that Power BECCS creates a dangerous dependence on imported biomass, with over 99% of Drax's 2024 wood pellets being imported, primarily from North America. The report recommends winding down Drax subsidies after 2031 and prioritising decarbonisation of easier-to-abate sectors like power, buildings, and transport.

The report emphasizes that grid capacity is now a primary driver for data centre investment in Europe. To avoid downgraded forecasts and remain competitive in the global AI race, the author recommends that governments treat grids as strategic infrastructure. Key proposals include the creation of priority AI zones outside congested capital cities, joint spatial planning to locate demand nodes near clean energy sources, and the implementation of non-firm grid connection options to reduce queues. Additionally, the document calls for increased research into data centre flexibility and improved data availability regarding demand profiles and grid capacity maps to inform planning and policy.

The report examines how smarter grid strategies can unlock digital infrastructure investments, particularly for AI and data centres. It highlights that long grid connection queues in Europe are deterring developers, but suggests that phased connections, non-firm (flexible) agreements, and strategic siting in priority zones can significantly reduce wait times and infrastructure costs. The document emphasizes that data centres often underutilize their contracted capacity and can offer flexibility to the grid, which could potentially double available capacity if implemented.

The document outlines a new energy security framework for Central and Eastern Europe, emphasizing the transition from fossil fuel imports to clean energy to mitigate geopolitical risks. It calls for the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, the creation of a grid security framework to counter hybrid warfare, and the expansion of the EU single energy market through harmonized permitting and increased interconnector investment. Additionally, it advocates for an incentive-based investment approach similar to the US Inflation Reduction Act to maintain European competitiveness and prevent reliance on non-EU financing.

The report argues that proactive grid planning is essential for Europe to meet its goal of tripling data centre capacity and capturing the economic benefits of AI. It highlights a shift in investment from traditional hubs (FLAP-D markets) to regions with lower grid congestion, such as the Nordics and Southern Europe. The analysis suggests that innovative connection agreements, data centre flexibility, and strategic spatial planning can significantly reduce connection wait times and infrastructure costs.

The report argues that while the EU aims to triple data centre capacity within five to seven years, grid congestion in traditional hubs like Dublin, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam is creating a primary barrier to growth. This is shifting investment toward markets with better grid preparedness, such as the Nordics and Belgium. Data centres are identified as unique grid challenges due to their large, localised, and continuous loads. Despite their economic benefits—including GDP growth and job creation—forecasts suggest the EU will likely only double its capacity by 2030, falling short of its target.

The report examines the growth of hybrid energy systems in Türkiye, noting that while solar power is the most preferred hybrid source, its installed capacity remains low relative to standalone solar growth. It details the regulatory evolution from 2020 to 2023 and provides data on how hybrid solar plants complement wind and run-of-river hydroelectric plants to increase grid efficiency and production continuity.

The report details a critical shortage of grid connection capacity in Turkey and worldwide. In Turkey, 65% of unlicensed project applications were rejected between February 2024 and April 2025 due to regional capacity constraints. Globally, 1.65 TW of wind, solar, and hydro projects are awaiting connection. The document identifies economic risks, long construction timelines, cautious technical planning, and procedural inefficiencies as primary barriers to the energy transition.

The report argues that implementing straightforward regulatory changes could unlock at least 8 GW of hybrid power potential in Türkiye. Key recommendations include removing the 100 MW capacity cap, eliminating the requirement for hybrid projects to be physically adjacent to the primary plant site, and establishing clear numerical targets and transparent data reporting for hybrid installations.

The report argues that simple regulatory adjustments could quickly realize at least 8 GW of hybrid power potential in Türkiye. Key recommendations include removing the requirement for hybrid projects to be physically integrated with the primary plant site, eliminating capacity limits on additional power based on primary source size, and treating hybrid plants as a separate process from new connection capacity allocations. Additionally, the document calls for the establishment of clear numerical targets for hybrid plants within the 2053 goals and improved transparency and accessibility of capacity data for these facilities.

Türkiye's hybrid solar capacity reached 1.4 GW by May 2025, despite a larger volume of granted licenses. The report highlights that hybrid solar systems significantly improve transmission line efficiency, particularly when paired with run-of-river hydroelectric and wind plants, increasing electricity delivery to the grid by an average of 14% in 2024.

The report finds that Türkiye has a baseline hybrid solar potential of 8 GW at existing wind and hydroelectric sites, which could increase to 25.6 GW under more optimistic economic conditions. Dammed hydroelectric plants offer the highest potential due to their location in high-solar regions like the Mediterranean and Eastern Anatolia. Implementing this capacity could significantly increase the share of renewables in the electricity mix and mitigate the impact of drought-induced hydroelectric generation losses.