Category: Knowledge Center America

Optimising US Grid for Power Demand: Paper

Optimising US Grid for Power Demand: Paper

September 12, 2025 | , ,

The power sector is facing the highest level of growing demand in decades. This whitepaper examines the significant challenges facing the US power sector as it experiences unprecedented demand growth. It identifies practical solutions that enable the power system to accommodate this load growth in a timely and cost-effective manner aligned with public policy goals. It focuses on actionable, near- and medium-term strategies that maximise the value of the existing grid and improve investment planning for future infrastructure needs.

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Brazil’s Energy Transition Legacy in the Run-up to COP30: Report

Brazil’s Energy Transition Legacy in the Run-up to COP30: Report

September 5, 2025 | , ,

Brazil has taken a leading role in positioning the just energy transition within the framework of the G20 in 2024. Seeking to continue these trajectories and project its global leadership, the South American country formulated three priorities in the G20 agenda linked to energy transition. The objective of this report is to characterise Brazil’s leadership capacity in the G20 by positioning the energy transition narrative as a way to observe changes and continuities within the processes at the BRICS Forum and COP30 in 2025. 

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Environmental Permits for Renewables in US: Paper

Environmental Permits for Renewables in US: Paper

August 29, 2025 | , ,

This paper “Taking Green Energy Projects to Court: NEPA Review and Court Challenges to Renewable Energy” by Resources for the Future highlights that nearly a third of solar projects and half of wind projects completing NEPA environmental impact statement reviews faced court challenges. Almost all cases were filed after the government agencies had issued their permitting decisions.

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Climate Finance Tracking for Brazil: Report

Climate Finance Tracking for Brazil: Report

August 21, 2025 | , ,

In order to mobilize international resources to further Brazil’s climate agenda, the Brazilian government has adopted a series of initiatives. The country has also issued sustainable sovereign bonds and resumed the Amazon Fund. The common objective of these initiatives is to leverage international resources for financing climate projects and to create favorable investment conditions to drive foreign private capital to projects aligned with the national climate agenda.

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Status of California’s Electric Program Investment Charge: Report

Status of California’s Electric Program Investment Charge: Report

August 8, 2025 | , ,

The Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) Program is California’s premier electricity sector research and development program. EPIC drives innovation and advances science and technology in energy efficiency, load flexibility, renewable energy and advanced clean generation, transportation, grid transmission and distribution, and among other areas important to California’s electricity system. This report summarises the progress and status of EPIC-funded CEC activities from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. 

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Assessing Reliability and Security of US Grid: Report

Assessing Reliability and Security of US Grid: Report

August 1, 2025 | , ,

The magnitude and speed of projected load growth cannot be met with existing approaches to load addition and grid management. The situation necessitates a radical change to unleash the transformative potential of innovation. The retirement of firm power capacity is exacerbating the resource adequacy problem. 104 GW of firm capacity is set for retirement by 2030. This capacity is not being replaced on a one-to-one basis and losing this generation could lead to significant outages when weather conditions do not accommodate wind and solar generation.

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Unleashing American Energy: White House Briefing

Unleashing American Energy: White House Briefing

July 25, 2025 | , ,

This brief “The Economic Benefits of Unleashing American Energy” has been prepared by The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The authors estimate that policies which support American energy dominance could raise GDP by at least 0.56-1.90 percent by 2035, or 0.31-1.23 percent without deregulation effects. Specifically, removing restrictions on commingling in offshore oil reservoirs could increase GDP by 0.03-0.13 percent by 2035.

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US Carbon Management Policy Landscape: Brief

US Carbon Management Policy Landscape: Brief

July 18, 2025 | , ,

The brief address policies supporting carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, including overlapping carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods such as direct air capture (DAC) and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).  It concludes that the U.S. carbon management policy landscape demonstrates notable progress particularly through the Inflation Reduction Act’s expanded 45Q credits, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s demonstration funding, and ongoing Department of Energy R&D initiatives.

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Uptake of Electric Trucks in US: Report

Uptake of Electric Trucks in US: Report

June 27, 2025 | , , ,

The report “Delivering Affordability: The Emerging Cost Advantage of Battery Electric Heavy-Duty Trucks and U.S. Policy Strategies to Unlock Their Full Economic Potential” by Energy Innovation and ICCT concludes that battery electric HDVs are approaching broad cost superiority, with modeled results showing net TCO savings over diesel by 2030 and thousands to tens of thousands of dollars in five-year TCO savings compared to diesel by 2035. While hydrogen fuel cell trucks may serve niche roles, battery electric HDVs are expected to be the preferred choice for most applications due to their lower capital, fuel, and maintenance costs.

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Land-Use Competition in Canada: Report

Land-Use Competition in Canada: Report

June 20, 2025 | , ,

To address the potential impacts of renewable development on biodiversity, the IEA developed the Renewable Energy and Land-Use Model (REALM), which identifies areas of overlap between renewable projects, critical mineral mining, and conservation priorities. Using Canada as a case study, this report highlights areas of potential land-use conflict and shows how the country can reach its 30% by 2030 target without significantly hindering the wind and solar development needed to achieve its net zero targets.

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Solar and Wind Power Assessment in Colombia: Report

Solar and Wind Power Assessment in Colombia: Report

June 20, 2025 | , , , ,

The analysis reveals that Colombia has strong potential for solar PV (1 604.9 GW) and onshore wind (31.5 GW), with priority zones identified in the northern and southwestern regions. The findings provide insights on maximum development potential to inform national infrastructure planning and contribute to high-level policy frameworks aimed at achieving universal electricity access and mitigating the impact of climate change.

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Regulatory Agility for US State Utilities: Brief

Regulatory Agility for US State Utilities: Brief

June 13, 2025 | , ,

Utility grids in the United States are at an inflection point. This brief “Regulatory Agility: Responsive and Adaptable Regulation for a Shifting Energy System” by RMI concludes that State public utilities commissions (PUCs) play a critical role in ensuring the health and economic vitality of families and businesses across the country. However, PUCs face increasingly complex mandates, continued rate increase requests, and a rapidly changing energy system. PUCs must continue to modernize to keep pace with the need to transition to a decarbonized, equitable, and flexible energy system. 

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State of US Clean Energy Manufacturing: Report

State of US Clean Energy Manufacturing: Report

May 30, 2025 | , , , , ,

The report “The State Of Clean Energy Manufacturing” by American Clean Power summarises that American clean power is leading a manufacturing renaissance across the country. Solar cells and modules made in Ohio, manufactured steel in New Mexico, advanced batteries in West Virginia, offshore service vessels built in Louisiana, and wind turbine blades in Iowa are just a few examples of the output from the 200 manufacturing facilities actively building primary clean power components to supply booming U.S. demand for new energy.

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New England’s Offshore Wind Transmission Study: Report

New England’s Offshore Wind Transmission Study: Report

May 22, 2025 | , , ,

The New England power system is undergoing a major transformation as five of its six states commit to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050. The ISO New England (ISO-NE) recently released the 2050 Transmission Study: Offshore Wind Analysis final report, which examines the reliable integration of large-scale offshore wind (OSW) projects into the regional grid, assessing their impact on the transmission system and identifying strategic planning requirements for future development. The findings of the report are based on N-1 direct current (DC) thermal steady-state analysis, providing a high-level view of system constraints but not replacing the need for more detailed full interconnection studies.

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Virtual Power Plants in the Caribbean: Report

Virtual Power Plants in the Caribbean: Report

May 22, 2025 | , ,

The report “Reimagining the Electricity Sector in Island Nations with Virtual Power Plants” by RMI summarises that Caribbean countries are universally renowned for their turquoise waters, pristine environment, and vibrant local culture. However, a common plight lurks in the background of most islands: a deep dependence on expensive, polluting fossil fuels for electricity generation. This reliance contributes to the unique vulnerability of island nations to volatile global fuel prices that can cripple local economies by driving up electricity prices. Furthermore, the aging and fragile grid infrastructure in many Caribbean countries leads to numerous electricity outages each year. 

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Commercial Building Energy Use in Dallas: Report

Commercial Building Energy Use in Dallas: Report

May 16, 2025 | , ,

The report “Understanding Commercial Building Energy Use in the Greater Dallas-Fort Worth Area: Building Stock Segmentation for Retrofit Planning” by the US Department of Energy and NREL breaks down the energy consumption and emissions of the building stock in the Greater Dallas-Fort Worth Area counties, by building type, building size, end use, energy consumption, emissions, and segment. The report concludes that 83% of building stock’s site energy consumption is Electricity, with 44% of the Electricity consumption accounted to HVAC. Most of the site energy consumed by HVAC is attributed to buildings with Multizone Systems, particularly in Education, Healthcare, and Office buildings. Building stock’s segment with the most site energy consumed is Hydronically Heated Multizone Systems.

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Expanding US-India Energy Security Partnership: Report

Expanding US-India Energy Security Partnership: Report

May 16, 2025 | , , , ,

The report “A Blueprint To Advance The U.S.-India Energy Security Partnership” by ORF America summarises that energy security remains a cornerstone of the U.S.-India partnership, being vital for economic growth and national security. A U.S.-India Energy and Industrial Partnership should involve deploying energy technologies at scale, reducing concentrations in energy supply chains and manufacturing, and strengthening both the domestic industrial base and industrial corridor between the two countries.

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Decarbonising US Economy using Biomass: Paper

Decarbonising US Economy using Biomass: Paper

May 9, 2025 | , , ,

The paper “Biomass and land use in a decarbonizing U.S. economy” by WRI concludes that biomass is a limited and valuable resource; as such, it is critical that it be used in a way that is most effective for emissions mitigation. It is vital that the value of biomass production be weighed against the many other demands placed on land in a decarbonizing society. This analysis finds that some biomass, including wastes and residues, has a role to play in decarbonizing the US economy, but accurate carbon accounting is essential, and guardrails must be placed on biomass use.

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Colorado’s Clean and Flexible Energy Future: Paper

Colorado’s Clean and Flexible Energy Future: Paper

May 2, 2025 | , , ,

This paper “Flexible, Clean Industry and Sustainable Energy Power Strong Economies” by Energy Innovation explores an emerging approach to transform cheap, clean renewable generation by co-locating with symbiotic new industries that can use electricity flexibly and how it could apply in Pueblo, Colorado. The combined resource creates a more dispatchable and reliable electric grid asset while at the same time providing an opportunity for host communities to capture more of the economic benefits of the energy transition. This approach is referred to as an “energy park.”

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Clean Energy Tax Credits in US: Report

Clean Energy Tax Credits in US: Report

April 25, 2025 | , ,

United States electricity demand is expected to grow, in part because data center demand could more than double by 2030. Utilities need to build power plants quickly to meet increased demand. This research summary compares analyses from more than a dozen nonpartisan research groups, showing how repealing §45Y and §48E technology-neutral electricity tax credits would raise the nation’s household energy bills around $6 billion annually in the next five years and $25 billion annually by 2040. In some states, households would shoulder over $500 increases in their annual energy bills

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