Electrification and energy efficiency are key to reducing the size of the overall energy “pie” and to cost containment. Fuels play a strategic role in the transition, with a shift toward clean fuel alternatives toward 2050. All scenarios indicate a need to build infrastructure in Oregon. Tech loads are the biggest driver of electricity demand growth but are also uncertain in when and where they could emerge
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The report “Local Governments Can Achieve Texas-Sized Impacts from Distributed Energy Assets and Virtual Power Plants” by RMI highlights that distributed energy resources and virtual power plants can empower Texas communities to lead the transition to a more resilient, affordable, and sustainable energy system. These assets, especially when combined to create virtual power plants (VPPs) — also known as aggregate distributed energy resources (ADERs) — are emerging as key tools that can be deployed quickly in support of a more reliable, resilient, and affordable electricity system.
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The United States is on track to reach 7-9 MMTpa in operational capacity by 2030. Investment in clean hydrogen has nearly doubled in the last year—not including the approximately $50 billion of capital associated with DOE H2Hubs—shrinking the amount of additional capital investment required to achieve liftoff by 30-60%, to $30-150 billion from the $85-215 billion gap. Despite cost increases, markets for clean hydrogen are growing. Low-carbon reformation projects can target large, industrial offtakers in ammonia and refining. Electrolysis projects can target end markets with higher willingness to pay or markets with additional, stackable incentives.
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The US transmission grid is facing substantial challenges due to load growth and a shifting generation mix, necessitating urgent expansion and modifications. Although utility investment in transmission infrastructure has quadrupled during the last 20 years, the emphasis has changed from critical high voltage regional lines to lower-voltage local projects, which is inefficient. Local projects frequently receive less scrutiny, which can result in higher costs and greater environmental and land-use implications than bigger, more strategically planned regional initiatives. This report highlights the challenges in expanding the US electric grid to meet increasing energy demands and transition to clean energy while ensuring grid reliability in the face of severe weather events.
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This memo “Easing the Permitting Process for Clean Industrial Projects in California” by RMI outlines key challenges and solutions to begin improving the California permitting process for clean industrial projects ranging from clean fuel refining, to cement plants, to steel production, and more. It concludes that the permitting process in California is complex and work-intensive on both the side of the permit-seeker and the permitting agencies and local governments. As a result, improving the permitting process for clean industrial projects will require coordinated effort from both policymakers and project developers.
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This note provides an overview of many industrial policy tools federal and state policymakers can use to secure the future of U.S. industries, ranging from continuation and expansion of existing tax credits, procurement policies, and grant programs to new policies, including demand-side and market-based policies.
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This paper examines how transatlantic interconnection could help both North America and Europe to achieve a more secure and efficient transition to renewable electricity. The future electricity grids of North America and Europe will be increasingly impacted by weather as they seek to decarbonise their energy systems. This paper explores the weather complementarity between the two grids and concludes there is substantial value in interconnection, which can help provide security and efficiency between the energy systems of these two continents.
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This report shows renewable energy projections through 2026 based on the renewable portfolio standard (RPS), voluntary green pricing programs (VGP), integrated resource plans (IRPs), public utility regulatory policies act (PURPA) resources, and the distributed generation and legacy net metering programs. There have been significant legislative changes that will transform Michigan’s electric generation portfolio in the coming years.
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In 2023, the Texas Legislature created the Texas Hydrogen Production Policy Council (Council) to study and make recommendations relating to the policy framework of the Railroad Commission of Texas for hydrogen energy development in Texas. The Council was established in December 2023 pursuant to House Bill 2847 (88th Legislature, Regular Session), and its initial report details the Council’s analysis and preliminary recommendations. The report’s recommendations are focused on ensuring effective and consistent regulatory oversight of hydrogen production, transportation, and storage, while maximizing economic opportunities for the development of the hydrogen industry in Texas.
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Analysis highlights several shortcomings with many current policies. First, state support for some SAF production pathways may not lead to an increase in the total supply of low-carbon fuel; instead, fuel and feedstock could be redirected from other climate-friendly uses to take advantage of state SAF subsidies. Second, the short duration of some policies means they are unlikely to trigger investments in the advanced SAF pathways needed to meet aviation climate targets. And third, existing policy frameworks subsidize the use of SAF without also imposing a penalty on aviation emissions, violating the “polluter pays” principle.
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Solar Means Business tracks U.S. solar photovoltaic (PV) installations that support commercial activities at U.S. facilities. The report focuses on America’s largest companies but includes available data for companies of all sizes. Systems can be located on-site and provide electricity to the facility directly, or off-site and offset grid electricity costs for a company through Virtual Net Metering, Physical and Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), Green Tariffs or similar arrangements.
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Latin America is at a critical juncture in its renewable energy journey, with vast potential to harness its abundant wind resources to drive economic growth, reduce carbon emissions, and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This policy paper “Ensuring The Social License For Wind Projects In Latin America” by GWEC is designed to guide policymakers and stakeholders across the region, offering insights and strategies rooted in local experiences and best practices to overcome the barriers currently hindering the expansion of wind energy.
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This report concludes that PJM’s current implementation of SIS unnecessarily constrains this vital option to address the region’s reliability puzzle. PJM needs more storage resources to support the system as it transitions to include more intermittent resources, yet it limits BESS’s ability to participate in SIS. PJM can achieve this result by adopting best practices for SIS implementation from other jurisdictions like MISO and SPP.
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By leveraging available policy support for both existing technologies and research into new solutions, Houston’s industrial sector can accelerate its decarbonization efforts and continue the region’s position as a global leader in the energy transition. At the same time, by embracing decarbonization, Houston can maintain its competitive advantages in a world of rapidly changing consumer preferences. Industrial decarbonization investments in the Houston area will stem from upgrades to and replacements of the existing asset base in parallel with new assets being added to the regional portfolio to address growing global demand for emissions reductions and decarbonized products.
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Utility-scale PV continued to lead solar deployment in 2023, with Texas adding the most new capacity. 89% of new projects and 96% of new capacity feature single-axis tracking. The market value of solar fell in 2023 to $44/MWh on average, as energy prices returned to more normal levels. The generation costs of newer projects is less than their wholesale market replacement costs. Rising prices for new PPAs are now higher in some regions than solar’s energy and capacity market value in 2023. When accounting for climate and health benefits, solar generation delivered nearly $14 billion net-value in 2023.
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This provides a high-level framework for agencies aiming to reduce emissions associated with their building and fleet portfolios. Leveraging existing resources and processes, agencies can achieve their clean energy and emissions reduction targets by adopting five main steps, referred to as the federal agency portfolio decarbonization action plan framework. These steps include collection and assessment; solution development; prioritization; implementation and training; and monitoring, reporting, and revising.
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Key highlights from the report “Clean Energy Investing in America” by the American Clean Power reveal that over the past two years, the US clean energy industry has: Announced $500 billion in investment, invested $75 billion in clean power built, announced 160+ manufacturing facilities which includes – 95 for solar, 12 for offshore wind, 25 for battery storage, 19 for land based wind, 10 for transmission, announced 300+ GW of clean power capacity.
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In pursuit of achieving net-zero emissions, the US federal and state governments, alongside businesses, are escalating efforts to promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). The document, developed with extensive stakeholder input, is a comprehensive guide that outlines a strategy for integrating EVs into the electric grid. It offers direction for stakeholders as they develop products, identify opportunities for standardisation, and design new policies, rates, and services, among other activities.
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Latin America, with its vast potential in renewable resources (solar, wind and hydro power) can unlock clean hydrogen production at competitive cost, positioning it to become a major clean hydrogen exporting region and hence a central player in the global clean hydrogen economy. This report has presented three distinct clean hydrogen pathways that countries in the region are likely to follow, each with its own specific objectives, challenges and enabling measures.
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Grid-scale energy storage is a critical element driving and supporting the evolution of the electricity system. Long-duration (10+ hours) energy storage technologies are needed to support a variety of clean energy and resilience applications. DOE formed SI 2030 to analyse pathways for the most promising technologies to meet future targets. The report analyse the potential of long duration capable energy storage technologies to achieve future goals and benefit from widespread deployment on the Nation’s electricity grid. They establish a systematic approach to engage with experts while quantifying the impact of innovation and will be revisited periodically to track progress.
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