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U.S. electricity demand is expected to grow by 25% by 2030 and 78% by 2050, compared to 2023, according to a new report by ICF. This is being driven by data centers, new manufacturing, crypto-mining, and building and vehicle electrification, and could have significant implications on the reliability and affordability of electricity, including raising electricity rates by 15-40% by 2030 for residential customers. The report also finds that installed generation capacity will need to grow 3.3% per year between 2025 and 2050 to adequately meet electricity demand (compared to the average 1.8% growth per year between 2000 and 2025). (May 2025)

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U.S. clean energy manufacturing, spanning 200 primary manufacturing plants, contributed $18 billion to GDP and supported 122,000 jobs last year, according to a report by the American Clean Power Association. This contribution is projected to grow to $86 billion and 575,000 jobs by 2030 if all announced manufacturing facilities become operational. Currently, over 200 additional manufacturing facilities are in development, representing $150 billion in investment. (May 2025)

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Methane emissions from oil, gas, and coal reached over 120 million metric tons (Mt) in 2024,  according to the International Energy Agency’s   Global Methane Tracker 2025. This includes 8 Mt from abandoned wells and mines, and 20 Mt from bioenergy production and consumption. Just 5% of oil and gas production meets a near-zero methane emissions standard. About 70% of methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector could be avoided with existing technologies, often at a low cost  (including 35 Mt of emissions that could be avoided at no net cost). (May 2025)

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22,777 companies were scored by CDP in 2024, up 8% from 2023. Nearly all (98%) received a Climate score, while 28% received a Water Security score and 7% received a Forests score. However, just 515 companies (2%) achieved an A score, the same percentage as in 2023. A scores in Climate increased 33% in 2024 to 462, up from 346 A’s in 2023. A’s in Water Security also grew (to 133 up from 101), while A’s in Forests fell to 26 (from 30).Only 8 companies achieved a Triple A.  (April 2025)

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PwC’s Second Annual State of Decarbonization Report (PwC) — Analyzes how companies’ climate commitments and ambitions are evolving over time, utilizing CDP submissions of 6,895 companies. Key findings (March 2025):

• There has been a nine-fold increase in companies responding to CDP in 2024, compared to five years ago. And of these companies,37% are increasing their climate ambitions, 47% are standing by their commitments, and 16% are decelerating their goals.
• Large companies’ efforts to address their Scope 3 emissions are leading suppliers to set targets as well. This is reflected in the average annual revenue for companies setting targets falling from$3.8 billion in 2020 to $1.3 billion in 2024.
• 73% of companies are on track on Scope 2 decarbonization, but only 46% are keeping pace on Scope 1 decarbonization and 54% of companies are on track to meet Scope 3 targets.
• 24 billion metric tons of emissions are covered under Scope 3 targets, versus 6 billion metric tons of emissions under Scope 1 and 2 targets.
• 83% of companies report R&D investment in low-carbon products and services.

PR » ESG TODAY »

The top 20 highest carbon-producing entities collectively accounted for 17.5 gigatons of CO2 equivalent (GtCO2e) in emissions in 2023,  with their CO2 emissions representing40.8% of global fossil fuel and cement CO2 emissions,  according to a new 2023 update ofthe Carbon Majors database. 16 of these 20 are state-owned entities, including eight from China. Seven of the 20 were coal companies, with coal making up 41.1% of the emissions of the database (180 active and historical entities). Of the 169 active entities tracked, 93 increased their emissions in 2023, 73 reduced emissions, and 3 maintained the same level of emissions. (March 2025)

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CO2 emissions under current scenarios could reduce the carrying capacity of satellites orbiting between 200 and 1,000 km by 50-66%,  according to aNature Sustainability study. This is due to cooling and contraction in the thermosphere caused by greenhouse gases, which reduces atmospheric drag of old satellites and debris, thus keeping more debris in orbit and increasing risks of collision. (March 2025)

THE HILL »  MIT NEWS »

New geothermal projects could meet up to 64% of U.S. data center electricity demand growth by the early 2030s,  according to newRhodium Group research.  (March 2025)

AXIOS »

The U.S. installed a record 50 GW of new solar capacity in 2024, up 21% from 2023,  according to theU.S. Solar Market Insight report. This made up 66% of total new capacity additions in 2024 and is the largest amount of new capacity added to the grid by any energy technology in over 20 years. Domestic module manufacturing capacity also grew a record 190%, from 14.5 GW to 42.1 GW in 2024. (March 2025)

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Only 10 countries have submitted their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)  (domestic climate targets)for 2035, due 10 February. These include the UK (the only country with a 1.5°C compatible NDC), Japan, Brazil, and the U.S. (during the Biden Administration), and, including the U.S., cover about 17% of global emissions. Just 25-33% of G20 countries are expected to submit targets on time,  according to reporting from the Financial Times, increasing concerns of backtracking on global climate action. (Feb 2025)

AXIOS » FINANCIAL TIMES »

Just 35% of companies are on track to meet their own targets for emissions reductions,  according to theCDP 2025 Corporate Health Check. 36% have climate transition plans, 48% link executive-level pay to climate outcomes; 20% price carbon internally; and62% work on climate topics across the value chain with suppliers and customers. Of companies most advanced in climate progress (frontrunners), 64% have climate transition plans, 41% have internal carbon prices, 78% link executive pay to climate, and 87% work across the value chain. (Jan 2025)

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U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions fell 0.2% in 2024, according to research by Rhodium Group.  While this decline comes as the U.S. economy grew 2.7%, it is far smaller than the 7.6% annual reduction in emissions from 2025-2030 needed to achieve the country’s Paris Agreement target.Industrial sector emissions fell 1.8% (driven primarily be reduced manufacturing output and reduced coal production), and methane emissions intensity in the oil and gas sector led to a 3.7% drop in this sector’s emissions. However, transportation sector emissions increased 0.8%, building sector  emissions increased 0.4%, andpower sector emissions grew 0.2%, as electricity demand grew 3%. For the first time, solar and wind generation surpassed coal generation in 2024, but natural gas increased to 43% of the generation mix. (Jan 2025)

The decarbonization pathway of just 11% of listed companies align with projected warming of below 1.5°C,  while 27% align with a 1.5-2.0°C of warming, and 62% align with warming greater than 2°C, according toThe MSCI Sustainability Institute Net-Zero Tracker. In total, listed companies are on track to put 11 GT of Scope 1 emissions into the atmosphere this year (nearly 20% of global GHG emissions), and use their share of the global carbon budget for keeping below 1.5°C by November 2026. (Nov 2024)

TRELLIS »

Companies reporting on electricity purchasing to CDP claim, on average, to be purchasing 29% renewable electricity (RE),  based on 9,551 companies representing 13% of global electricity generation. However, the companies only disclose in sufficient detail for CDP to recognize 16% RE.Only 936 companies have set targets to consume 100% RE (with a MWh-weighted average target year of 2033); these companies currently claim to be using 53% RE.  (Nov 2024)

$78 trillion of cumulative investment is required across power, grid infrastructure, critical minerals, and emerging technologies from 2024 to 2050 to meet Paris Agreement goals,  according to Wood Mackenzie’sEnergy Transition Outlook. The Outlook analyzes four pathways, ranging from a net zero scenario (1.5°C) to a delayed transition scenario (3°C). In all scenarios, “strong renewables growth is a certainty.” (Nov 2024)

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7,544 industrial facilities in the U.S. reported 2.58 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent released in 2023, down 4.4% over 2022,  according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’sGreenhouse Gas Reporting Program. Power plants emitted 1.47 billion metric tons, down 7.2% from 2022 and down 34% compared to 2011. Emissions from Oil & Gas systems increased 1.4% over 2022 to 322.5 million metric tons (and increased 43% since 2011). (Oct 2024)

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The Global South  (excluding China, Eurasia, and the Middle East)has just 20% of fossil fuel production and reserves but 70% of global renewable potential and 50% of clean tech minerals,  according toa report by RMI. Solar and wind generation has been growing at 23% per year for the past 5 years, and 17% of the Global South has already overtaken the Global North in terms of the share of solar and wind in electricity generation.  (Oct 2024)

The world is on track to add more than 5,500 GW of new renewable capacity between 2024 and 2030,  almost three times the increase between 2017 and 2023, according to the International Energy Agency’sRenewables 2024 report. While falling short of the U.N. goal of tripling capacity, renewables are on course to generate almost half of global electricity by 2030.  The report also projects thatgreen hydrogen  is set to account forjust 4% of total hydrogen production  in 2030. (Oct 2024)

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Total low-emissions hydrogen production could reach 49 million metric tons (MMT) per year by 2030 based on announced projects,  according to theInternational Energy Agency’s Global Hydrogen Review 2024. This is almost 30% more than projected in the 2023 Review. Much of the growth is driven by announced electrolysis projects, which amount to almost 520 GW.  (Oct 2024)

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Achieving the collective goals of tripling the global installed capacity of renewables and doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030 could get the world two-thirds of the way to a Paris-aligned energy system by 2030,  according to a new report by theInternational Energy Agency.The report finds that both of these are within reach, but will require stronger and expanded efficiency policies; expedited permitting processes for renewables and grid expansions; and clear fossil fuel transition policies. (Sept 2024)

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Just 11% of nearly 2,000 companies surveyed in 2024 reduced emissions in line with their set ambitions, down from 14% in 2023,  according to   this new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The report also finds that emissions reductions are leading to significant financial benefits, primarily through lowering operating costs; and that those companies using AI to help reduce emissions are 4.5 times more likely to experience significant decarbonization benefits.  (Sept 2024)

ESG TODAY »    EDIE »

Zero-carbon sources generated over 40% of global electricity in 2023, a record, according to a   new report   from BNEF. Hydropower contributed 14.7%, wind and solar 13.9%, and nuclear 9.4%. China produced nearly a third of all global renewable energy output. Almost 91% of global net power capacity additions came from solar and wind in 2023 compared to 6% from fossil fuels. Global investment in renewable energy in the first half of 2024, at $313 billion, is lower than investment in the previous six months but on par with the first half of 2023. (Sept 2024)

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The Sustainability Trends Report 2024   (Generation Investment Management) —Assesses the most recent global efforts toward sustainability, finding some positive steps along with “backsliding” on some climate commitments and progress. Pledges by countries to triple renewable energy reached nearly 200, and net zero commitments grew to 147, however few countries have yet to create concrete plans. The installation of solar PV grew 74% in one year, however, power demand is also growing rapidly, driven by AI, electric vehicles (EVs), and heat pumps. EV adoption is also growing but hitting “speed bumps” in some markets, and progress in cutting emissions from other forms of transportation has been limited. $2 is now being spent on clean energy for every $1 spent expanding fossil fuels, up from a ratio closer to 1-to-1 just five years ago, though banks are still spending hundreds of billions of dollars on new fossil fuel development. (Sept 2024)

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The Role of Fusion Energy in a Decarbonized Electricity System (MIT Energy Initiative) — Applies a multi-disciplinary approach to assess fusion’s potential role in a decarbonized electricity system.The report identifies what is required to achieve fusion’s potential as a major contributor to this system, analyzing factors likely to shape its deployment and utilization. It finds thatthe scale of fusion deployment will depend on: the cost of fusion power plants and their supply chains; the availability and cost of other low-carbon technologies and how tightly carbon emissions are constrained (as well as the availability of natural gas power plants with carbon capture); and the decarbonization targets, relative prices of electricity, and availability of other low-carbon technologies in various regions, which will shape regional adoption, scale, and timing. (Sept 2024)

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Anthropogenic GHG emissions show a declining trend under current climate policies,  according to analysis published   inEnvironmental Research Letters. The central estimate projects a 0.21°C increase per decade around 2025 and 0.15°C increase per decade around 2050. This downward trend could be greater if both nationally determined contributions and long-term net-zero climate targets are achieved. It could be less with a failure to meet commitments, rapid reductions in sulfate aerosol emissions, or unexpected non-linear climate feedbacks. (Aug 2024)

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Wind and solar generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the EU during the first six months of 2024 for the first time ever in a half year period,  according to new analysis by Ember. Wind and solar grew to an all-time high of 30% of EU electricity, compared to 27% from fossil fuels, which fell by 17%. (Aug 2024)

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China’s collective wind and solar energy capacity eclipsed coal capacity for the first time,  according to China’s National Energy Administration (NEA), via research from Rystad Energy.The annual capacity addition of clean energy was 16 times greater than the capacity addition of coal in the first half of 2024. Rystad Energy forecasts that by 2026, solar power alone will surpass coal as China's primary energy source, with a cumulative capacity exceeding 1.38 TW, 150 GW more than coal. (Aug 2024)

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The Global Fusion Industry in 2024 and The Fusion Industry: Supply Chain 2024 (Fusion Industry Association (FIA)) — Assesses the global fusion industry and supply chain in 2024. Findings from the two reports include  (July 2024): 

• Total investment in the fusion industry increased $900 million over the past year to $7.1 billion.
• Total government funding increased 57% over the past year to$426 million.
• Total number of fusion companies increased from 43 to 45 last year, with 25 of those in the U.S.
• 89% of fusion companies (that responded to the survey) project that fusion will provide electricity to the grid by the end of the 2030s.
• Tracked supply chain spend increased from $485 million in 2022 to$612 million in 2023.
• Fusion companies reported plans tospend 21% more on their supply chain in 2024 than 2023.
• 77% of fusion supply chain member companies are investing to grow their capacity to support the fusion industry, and100% plan to expand work with fusion companies in 2024.
• However, greater long-term certainty around financing and policy is still needed for the fusion supply chain to increase confidence in scaling up.

AXIOS »

The U.S. is on track to reduce emissions 38-56% below 2005 levels by 2035, based on all federal and state policies currently in place,  according to a new report by the Rhodium Group. However, this isnot enough to achieve its commitment of a 50-52% reduction by 2030 under the Paris Agreement. In 2023, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 18% lower than they were in 2005. (July 2024)

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Accelerating the Coal-to-Clean Transition   (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis) —More than 800 coal-fired power plants in emerging economies could be decommissioned and profitably replaced by renewable energy. This is true even without subsidies, and including paying for the costs associated with facility shutdown, new generation capacity, retraining workers, upgrading grid infrastructure, and recovery of equity losses from shutting down an operational asset. Older coal plants (at least 10 years into operation) and larger projects of more than 800 MW make for better opportunities. The report finds that closure of some plants could be accelerated by 10 years or more, each yielding a substantial carbon reduction impact. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) would serve as the mechanism for these transitions, allowing for the raising of enough debt and equity to finance all costs of the transaction. However,the increased cost of capital, inertia, and regulatory capture remain as challenges.  (June 2024)

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The energy transition is progressing, but has lost momentum,  according toa new benchmark of 120 countries by the World Economic Forum. 107 countries reached their highest levels in the Energy Transition Index, however, the rate of improvement between 2021 and 2024 was almostfour times less than the improvement between 2018 and 2021. Also, 83% of countries achieved lower scores than last year on at least one of the three energy system performance dimensions of the energy transition (security, equity, and sustainability). (June 2024)

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Just 14 out of the 194 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted by countries under the Paris Agreement include explicit targets for total renewable power capacity for 2030,  according to   a new report by the International Energy Agency. This includes capacity ambitions of 1,300 GW, just 12% of the global tripling pledge of 11,000 GW. However, factoring in the domestic ambitions of 150 countries (i.e. existing plans, policies, and estimates), installedrenewable capacity would reach 8,000 GW, 72% of the 11,000 GW goal.  (June 2024)

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A net-zero trajectory will require “an immediate peaking of emissions and fossil-fuel use across the global energy system,” according to Bloomberg NEF’s New Energy Outlook. It will also require atripling of renewable energy capacity by 2030 to 11 TW, and that $3 be invested in low-carbon energy over the remainder of this decade for every $1 that is invested in fossil fuels. (May 2024)

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A 5-year delay to the energy transition could lead to a 3°C global warming trajectory,  according tonew analysis by Wood Mackenzie. This could bring annual global decarbonization spending down to $1.7 trillion annually on average, 55% lower than what is required to meet Wood Mackenzie’s Net Zero by 2050 scenario. (May 2024)

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Global Energy Outlook 2024: Peaks or Plateaus?   (Resources for the Future (RFF)) —Harmonizes 16 scenarios across eight energy outlooks published in 2023 (plus two historical datasets) to assess a broad scope of potential paths for the global energy system. Key findings (April 2024):

• A “true energy transition,” not green energy additions, is necessary to limit warming to 1.5°C or 2°C by 2100.
• All scenarios, including those consistent with 1.5°C by 2100,show substantial global fossil fuel consumption through at least 2050 (though in many scenarios fossil fuel use reaches its highest point before 2030).
• Several ambitious climate scenarios (those limiting warming to <2°C) show global fossil fuel use of roughly 100 quadrillion BTU in 2050 (slightly higher than total U.S. primary energy demand).
• If fossil fuels are not phased out of the energy system, limiting warming to international targetswill require a substantial scale-up of carbon removal technologies.
• Coal demand declines relative to 2022 in all 16 scenarios, ranging from 2% to 93% lower by 2050.
• Global electricity demand is projected to grow substantially under all scenarios, while the share of electricity generated by fossil fuels declines.

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80% of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and cement from 2016 through 2022 can be linked to 57 producers, according to a new report by InfluenceMap. It also found that 65% of state-owned and 55% of investor-owned fossil fuel companies produced more fossil fuels in the seven years after the Paris Agreement (2016-2022) than the seven years before its adoption (2009-2015). (April 2024)

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Catalysing the Global Opportunity for Electrothermal Energy Storage (Systemiq) — Explores how regulators and policymakers can accelerate the adoption of electrothermal energy storage (ETES), electrifying industrial heat processes and storing that energy as heat.ETES could help decarbonize industrial heat, reduce energy costs, and better utilize intermittent renewable energy sources. The report estimates that ETES could reduce up to 40% of 2022 global gas use and 14% of GHG emissions by mid-century. This will require policymakers accelerating its uptake, such as through reforming grid fees and taxes, helping to fast-track grid connection for flexible demand technologies, and ensuring that ETES is eligible for industrial decarbonization support schemes. (March 2024)

PR »  LATITUDE MEDIA »

The U.S. is partially on track for a reduction of 37-42% of net greenhouse gas emissions by 2030  (relative to 2005) based on new analysis fromthe Clean Investment Monitor (CIM). Zero emission vehicle sales grew to 1.43 million in 2023 (9.2% of total light-duty vehicle sales), at the high end of researchers’ projections. A record 32.3 GW of zero-carbon electricity generation and storage were also added in 2023, but this was significantly below researchers’ projected annual additions of 46-79 GW in 2023 and 2024 needed to stay on track with U.S. climate change goals. (Feb 2024)

REUTERS »  INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS »

Sectoral Assessment of Multiple Emission PATHways (SAMEpath)   (Allianz Research) —Provides granular analysis of the transition pathway needed for more than 50 industries worldwide, charting the required emission reductions and investments needed to achieve 1.5°C commitments. It also examines how the speed of implementation can vary by region, country, and sector, and draws both on existing climate analyses and Allianz Research’s own calculations. Users can customize data searches and identify transition risk in various scenarios and sectors. (Feb 2024)

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Bold Measures to Close the Climate Action Gap   (World Economic Forum (WEF) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG)) —Outlines systemic actions from corporations and governments to address the 600+ gigaton gap  in national emission reduction ambition and policy needed to keep the 1.5°C target alive. Corporate actions include:

• Accelerate supplier decarbonization (well over 10% of global emissions are in the supply chains of the 1,000 largest companies globally).
• Enable customers to make greener choices (as reducing the first 50% of many products’ emissions can be achieved with an end-price impact of under 1%).
• Drive change with peers in their industry, especially in supply chain ‘pinch points’ (as 10 players or less control more than 40% of many key markets).
• Engage in cross-industry partnerships, especially large-scale buying groups (as mobilizing less than 10% of the 1,000 largest companies’ capital expenditure and purchases could close the climate funding gap).
• Advocate and support bolder policies (as the advocacy of 95% of global companies is currently either misaligned with the Paris goals or sending mixed signals).

Government actions  include: putting a price on carbon; accelerating net-zero targets; increasing financing and green procurement; removing obstacles; andconsidering “more drastic measures” if progress remains too slow.  (Jan 2024)

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List of Climate Decarbonization and Clean Energy Pathways and Progress, 2023 - 2019 (PDF)

Market Indicators & Trends: Energy & Carbon

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Clean energy and transportation investment in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2025 totaled $67.3 billion, up 6.9% over Q1 2024, but down 3.8% from the previous quarter, according to the Clean Investment Monitor: Q1 2025 Update. This is the second consecutive quarterly decline. However, clean investment continues to represent a significant share of total private investment (4.7% in Q1 2025).Of the three segments of clean investment, Retail Investment made up $33.5 billion, up 17.4% compared to Q1 2024; Energy & Industry Investment made up $19.8 billion, down 7.7% from Q1 2024; and Manufacturing Investment made up $14 billion, up 7.7% from Q1 2024. (May 2025)

$7.97 billion in clean energy investments and 16 new large-scale factories and other projects were cancelled, closed, or downsized in the U.S. in the first three months of 2025,  according to new analysis by E2. This is more than three times the investments canceled over the previous 30 months, driven by economic and policy uncertainties. However, businesses are continuing to invest in the clean economy, announcing over $1.6 billion in new clean energy investments in March.  (April 2025)

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Oil consumption is projected to peak and decline by 2030 while electricity demand will grow rapidly through 2050,  based on many of the 13 scenarios examined by RFF in its Global Energy Outlook 2025. Electricity demand will be driven by the buildings and transportation sector (and data centers to a more modest degree), with the speed of electrification depending in large part on policy decisions. Solar and wind will account for 37-74% of global generation by 2050. Coal will decline under all scenarios by 2050, ranging from a decrease of 35% to 94% relative to 2023. The future of natural gas is less clear, with some scenarios projecting an 83% increase between 2023 and 2050 while others project a 7% decline. Overall, global energy demand is projected to grow slowly or decline under all scenarios, as efficiency improves and the world shifts from fossil fuels (which have higher energy conversion losses).CO2 emissions are projected to decline in 12 of 13 scenarios, with decreases ranging from 24% to over 90% by 2050 (under an Ambitious Climate scenario). (April 2025)

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Shifting from fossil fuels to clean energy technologies by 2060 would improve energy security and reduce trade risks for most countries,  according to a new study inNature Climate Change. The study found that overall trade risks decrease in 70% of countries in net-zero scenarios due to reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels, though trade risks specific to electricity or transportation systems would increase in the 82% of countries that become more dependent on imported critical minerals. Overall, trade risks would fall on average 19% in net-zero scenarios, assuming countries maintain their current networks. If countries expand their networks, average risk would fall 50%. Reducing the need for virgin materials, such as making technologies last longer and increasing critical mineral recycling rates, could reduce trade risks even further. (April 2025)

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In March 2025,fossil fuels accounted for 49.2% of electricity generated in the U.S.  This is thefirst time fossil fuels accounted for less than 50% of electricity generated,  with the previous record low of 51% set in April 2024. Clean sources made up the other 50.8%, withsolar and wind reaching a record of 24.4% of U.S. electricity generated in March. (April 2025)

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Renewable energy capacity grew by a record rate of 15.1% (585 GW) in 2024, reaching 4,448 GW globally,  according to theInternational Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable energy made up 92.5% of the total capacity expansion in 2024. Almost 64% of additions occurred in China, while G7 countries accounted for 14.3% of additions. However, to reach the goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, annual growth must expand to 16.6%.  (March 2025)

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Corporate energy buyers purchased a record 21.7 GW of renewable energy in 2024,  according to the Clean Energy Buyers Association’s (CEBA)2024 Deal Tracker. This brought the total energy purchased to over 100 GW since 2014, with 54 GW of this now in operation. Of the 21.7 GW purchased in 2024, over 73% was solar, 7.7% was wind, 6.7% nuclear, and 7.7% was battery storage, an increase of 300% over the previous year.  (March 2025)

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Annual battery demand surpassed a record 1 TWh (terawatt-hour) in 2024 worldwide, driven by a 25% increase in electric car sales,  according to analysis bythe International Energy Agency. The average price of a battery pack for a battery electric car also dropped below $100/kWh, a key threshold for competing on cost with conventional cars. This reduction stemmed from a combination offalling mineral prices (including lithium, down 85% from its 2022 peak), and increasing industry capacity, which reached 3 TWh globally in 2024. (March 2025)

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49 GW of clean energy was installed in the U.S. in 2024, bringing clean energy capacity to 313 GW,  according to a   new report by American Clean Power (ACP). Clean energy provided 93% of all new power capacity, and included 33 GW of solar, 11 GW of energy storage, and 4 GW of land-based wind. (March 2025)

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Wind and solar generated more electricity than coal for the first time in the U.S. in 2024,  according toresearch from Ember. Meanwhile, U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow 35-50% between 2024 and 2040,  according to analysis fromS&P Global Commodity Insights. This is being driven by a combination of economic growth, large industrial loads like data centers, and the electrification of transport and heating. (March 2025)

Wind turbine installations hit a record in 2024, driven primarily by China,  according to a new reportby BloombergNEF. Globally, developers brought 121.6 GW of wind turbines online in 2024, with almost 90% of this on land. Of the top five turbine suppliers, the top four were Chinese (Danish manufacturer Vestas was number five). China accounted for 70% of global installations.  (March 2025)

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U.S. energy storage set a new record in 2024 with 12.3 GW of installations, up 33% over 2023 numbers, according to the US Energy Storage Monitor report. About 89% of this was utility-scale, 10% was residential storage, and 1% community-scale, commercial and industrial. 15 GW of storage is expected to be installed in 2025.  (March 2025)

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63 GW of new utility-scale electric generating capacity is expected to be added to the U.S. power grid in 2025,   an increase of almost 30% from 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).52% of this capacity is solar, 29% battery storage, 12% wind, and 7% natural gas. The EIA also expects electricity generators to retire 12.3 GW of capacity in 2025, with 66% of this coal, 21% natural gas, and 13% petroleum. (March 2025)

Electricity consumption globally is expected to grow 4% annually through 2027,  the equivalent of Japan’s annual electricity consumption, according to theInternational Energy Agency’s Electricity 2025 report. The increase stems primarily from growing use in industrial production, accelerated electrification, growing demand for air conditioning, and the expansion of data centers.Developing and emerging economies will account for 85% of demand growth. Renewables and nuclear will be sufficient to cover all growth over the next three years, with solar PV covering about 50% of demand growth. (Feb 2025)

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The U.S. added 47% more clean energy capacity in 2024 than in 2023,  according toa report by Cleanview. 95% of new capacity added was carbon-free (including nuclear), and solar and batteries made up 83% of new capacity overall. Wind capacity additions were down 23% compared to 2023, though developers expect to build 80% more wind capacity in 2025 than 2024.Clean energy capacity is on track to grow 26% in 2025.  (Feb 2025)

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The cost of clean energy technologies is expected to fall 2-11% in 2025, breaking last year’s record,  according to a new report by BloombergNEF (BNEF). Trade barriers could temporarily stall cost declines, but BNEF projectslevelized cost of electricity for clean technologies to fall 22-49% by 2035  (22% for offshore wind, 26% for onshore wind, 31% for fixed-axis PV, and 49% for battery storage). (Feb 2025)

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Global energy transition investments grew 10.7% in 2024, hitting a record $2.08 trillion, according to BloombergNEF’s Energy Transition Investment Trends 2025. However, growth was slower than the previous three years, when investment grew 24-29% annually, and short of the $5.6 trillion needed each year between 2025 and 2030 to get on track for global Net Zero by 2050.Electrified transport and charging infrastructure continued to be the largest investment driver, growing to $757 billion in 2024. Renewable energy reached $728 billion, while investment in power grids increased to $390 billion. Investment in emerging technologies, including hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, fell 23% to $154 billion. China’s investments grew 20% from 2023 to $818 billion, which was larger than the investments of the U.S., EU, and UK combined. (Feb 2025)

PR »

Renewable capacity additions, particularly solar, will drive the growth of U.S. power generation over the next two years,  according to analysis bythe U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).   EIA expects utilities and independent power producers toadd 26 GW of solar and 8 GW of wind in 2025 and 22 GW of solar and 9 GW of wind in 2026. Coal generation capacity is expected to drop by 11 GW (6%) in 2025 and 4 GW (2%) in 2026. In 2024, coal fell by 3 GW, while solar grew by 37 GW and wind by 7 GW. (Feb 2025)

Energy demand trends may shift due to surprising technology developments,  according to an annualslide deck on green transition trends   by clean energy expert Nat Bullard.Two examples: Advancement in AI model training (e.g. DeepSeek) could reduce the demand growth for both energy and data center infrastructure; the development of weight loss drugs, which led to significant reductions in consumer spending on snacks, meat, and cheese, could lead to more biofuels and bioplastics generated (from redirection of surplus crop production), thus reducing demand for oil. (Feb 2025)

LINKEDIN » BLOOMBERG »

In China, installed solar and wind power capacity increased 45.2% and 18% respectively in 2024,  transcending the previous year’s record growth, according to China’s National Energy Administration.Wind capacity reached 520 GW, and solar capacity surpassed 886 GW, up from 609 GW in 2023. (Jan 2025)

REUTERS » ELECTREK »

Half of the U.S. and Canada are at elevated or high risk of energy shortfalls over the next 5-10 years,  according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC)   2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment. This stems from a combination of accelerating demand (forecast to be 15.7% higher than the current level over a ten year period for an increase of 122 GW) and generator retirement plans (adding to 115 GW of lost capacity over the same period). (Dec 2024)

PR » REUTERS »

U.S. electricity demand is forecast to increase by 15.8% by 2029  (based on preliminary updates), according toresearch from GridStrategies. Over the past two years, the 5-year load growth forecast has more than quintupled, jumping from a projected 23 GW of growth forecasted in 2022 to 128 GW in 2024 (which would bring the total load to 947 GW by 2029). This forecasted growth is being driven by investments in data centers and manufacturing. (Dec 2024)

DAILY ENERGY INSIDER »

China will install between 230-260 GW of solar capacity in 2024, a new record,  according to the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, as reported by Bloomberg. This will exceed last year’s record of 217 GW installed.

BLOOMBERG »

Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels are expected to reach a record high of 37.4 billion metric tons of CO2 in 2024,  up 0.8% from 2023, according topreliminary research from the Global Carbon Project. Emissions from coal increased 0.2%, from oil 0.9% and from gas 2.4%. Respectively, these contribute 41%, 32% and 21% to global fossil fuel CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions from land-use change are also set to rise to 4.2 billion metric tons, bringing combined emissions to 41.6 billion tons, up from 40.6 billion tons in 2023. (Nov 2024)

PR » AXIOS »

Global solar capacity reached 2 TW, with more capacity added in the last two years than the previous 68 years combined,  according to data from the Global Solar Council shared with Reuters. About60% of capacity is from ground-mounted solar farms, and 40% from rooftop solar installations (including small rooftop installations often left out of government data). (Nov 2024)

REUTERS »

Global primary energy intensity (a measure of energy efficiency) is set to improve by around 1% in 2024,  according tothe International Energy Agency. This is the same rate as in 2023 and around half the average rate between 2010 and 2019. To achieve commitments made at COP28, however, this rate needs to increase to 4% by 2030. Governments representing 70% of global energy demand did implement new or updated efficiency policies in 2024. Investment in energy efficient technologies also grew by an estimated 4% in 2024, on track to reach $660 billion this year. (Nov 2024)

PR »

Energy Technology Perspectives 2024   (International Energy Agency (IEA)) —Examines the outlook for the top six mass-manufactured clean energy technologies  (solar PV, wind turbines, electric cars, batteries, electrolyzers and heat pumps),finding that the global market for these will grow from $700 billion in 2023 to over $2 trillion by 2035.  Additional findings (Nov 2024):

• Global investment in clean technologies rose by 50% in 2023 to $235 billion, with 80% of that going toward solar PV and battery manufacturing.
• Global trade in clean technologies is alsoexpected to grow from $200 billion to $575 billion in a decade, about 50% larger than the global trade in natural gas today.
• In the U.S., the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have mobilized $230 billion of investment in clean technology manufacturing through to 2030.
• China continues to be the major manufacturer of all six clean technologies,manufacturing around 70% in value terms currently.

PR » CLIMATE ACTION »

At current prices, green hydrogen is a prohibitively expensive carbon abatement strategy  across all end uses examined, once distribution and storage costs are factored in,with costs ranging from $500-$1,250 per ton of CO2,  according tonew research in Joule. Even if production costs fall to $2/kgH2, carbon abatement opportunities at less than $250/ton of CO2 are limited to ammonia production. (Oct 2024)

AXIOS »  BLOOMBERG »

World Energy Outlook 2024 (International Energy Agency (IEA)) — Examines the role of shifting market trends, evolving geopolitical uncertainties, emerging technologies, advancing clean energy transitions and growing climate change impacts on energy systems. It finds that escalating conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are increasing risks of disruptions to energy supplies (20% of oil and liquefied natural gas flow through the Strait of Hormuz). It also finds clean energy is entering the energy system rapidly, with investments to clean energy projects approaching $2 trillion annually (almost double that spent on fossil fuels), however, deployment is far from uniform across technologies and countries. The report provides scenarios that map out three potential energy paths. In all scenarios, global energy demand slows, due to efficiency gains, electrification, and growth of renewables. In theStated Policies Scenario (STEPS) a threefold increase in renewables by 2050 brings fossil fuels from 80% down to 58% of total energy demand. In the Announced Pledges Scenario (APS) clean energy meets nearly 75% of energy demand by 2050, while in the Net Zero Emissions Scenario (NZE), clean energy meets 90% of global energy demand in 2050. (Oct 2024)

PR »  AXIOS »

In 2023, renewable power capacity additions set a new record,  with 473 GW of new installed capacity (a 54% increase compared to 2022 additions), according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.Of this, 81% had lower electricity costs than the weighted average fossil fuel-fired costs by country/region.  (Sept 2024)

PR »

Greenhouse gas emissions from data centers worldwide are forecast to rise from 200 megatons (Mt) of CO2 equivalent in 2024 to 600 Mt in 2030,  according to new research from Morgan Stanley. Cumulatively,these add to 2,500 Mt through 2030, and include both power-based emissions (60%) and embodied emissions (40%) driven by construction and the manufacturing of equipment for the centers. (Sept 2024)

REUTERS »

Clean energy jobs accounted for more than half of energy sector job growth in 2023, according to a   new report from the Department of Energy. Jobs in clean energy increased by 142,000 in 2023, growing at more than twice the rate of the U.S. economy overall. (Sept 2024) 

PR »  REUTERS »

U.S. power consumption is forecast to grow to record highs of 4,101 billion kWh in 2024 and 4,185 billion kWh in 2025,  up from 4,000 billion kWh in 2023, according to theU.S. Energy Information Administration.   U.S. power supply is expected to increase 3%, with most of the increase coming from solar power. (Sept 2024)

REUTERS »

U.S. electricity demand could increase by an average of 9% by 2028,  driven by economic growth, electrification of buildings and transportation, manufacturing of batteries and fuel cells, data centers, AI, and cryptocurrency mining, according toa new report by ICF. The report finds this could increase electricity costs by an average of 19% by 2028.  (Sept 2024)

PR »  AXIOS »

Global additions to solar capacity are on track to reach 593 GW by the end of 2024,  according to new analysisby Ember. This is an increase of 29% over 2023, a year that itself experienced an 87% surge over 2022. (Sept 2024)

BLOOMBERG »

Nuclear power generation worldwide rose to 2,602 TWh in 2023, up 58 TWh from 2022,  according to the World Nuclear Performance Report 2024. Nuclear provides 9% of the world’s electricity. (Aug 2024)

PR »  BUSINESS GREEN »

China added 25 GW of wind and solar power in July,  expanding total capacity to 1,206 GW, andsurpassing its 2030 target of 1,200 GW from clean energy sources  six years early. (Aug 2024)

PR »  BLOOMBERG »

The U.S. power grid added 20.2 GW of generating capacity in the first half of 2024,  21% more than was added in the first half of 2023, according   to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Wind, solar, and battery storage made up nearly 93% of the new capacity. (Aug 2024)

CANARY MEDIA »

The market for 2024 transferable clean energy tax credits grew to $6.8 billion in transactions,  based on a new report from Crux. This is up from $3.5 billion from 2023. Crux projects overall volume of transferable tax credit transactions in 2024 will reach between $20-25 billion. (Aug 2024)

PR »

130 U.S. cities reported 436 climate projects seeking $27.5 billion in investment, up more than 30% since 2021,  according to new data from CDP. Buildings and energy efficiency made up the most projects (at 121 projects valued at $4.7 billion) and transportation was second at 88 projects (at $12.9 billion). (Aug 2024)

PR »

Renewables capacity increased 14% in 2023, increasing the CAGR from 2017-2023 to 10%, according toa new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). However, to triple renewables (as pledged at COP28), the world needs to grow renewables capacity at a minimum rate of 16.4% annually through 2030,  according to IRENA. Continuing to grow at 14% will lead to a shortfall of 1.5 TW (from the 11.2 TW goal). (July 2024)

PR »  REUTERS »

Global electricity demand is forecast to grow by around 4% in 2024, up from 2.5% in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency’s Mid-Year Update. This would be the highest annual growth since 2007 (excluding rebounds after the global financial crisis and COVID pandemic). This demand growth is driven by strong economic growth, heat waves and cooling needs, transition technologies (like EVs) that run on electricity, and AI and data center growth. Demand is forecast to grow by 4% in 2025 as well.  Renewables are expected to reach 35% of the global electricity supply in 2025, but coal is unlikely to decline due to strong growth in demand. (July 2024)

PR »  AXIOS »

2024 Statistical Review of World Energy (Energy Institute) — Analyzes data on world energy markets from 2023. Five key trends (June 2024):

1. Global primary energy consumption was at a record high, up 2% from 2022, with global fossil fuel consumption up 1.5% and making up 81.5% of the total (down from 82% in 2022).
2. Renewable generation was up 13% to a record high of 4,748 TWh, driven primarily by wind and solar.
3. The ongoing Ukraine conflict is reducing European gas demand, down 7% in 2023 after falling 13% in 2022.
4. Dependence on fossil fuels in major advanced economies is likely to have peaked, with U.S. falling to 80% of total primary energy, and the EU falling below 70%,for the first time since the Industrial Revolution.
5. Growth economies struggle to curb fossil fuel growth, with India now using more coal than Europe and North America combined. However, renewables accelerated in China, with the country adding 55% of all renewable generation additions in 2023.

PR »

Global hydropower grew to 1,412 GW in 2023, growing by 13.5 GW,  according to theWorld Hydropower Outlook. However, the five-year rolling average shows a downward trend in new installed capacity.  To achieve hydropower’s share of tripling total renewable energy would require increases of 26 GW per year until 2030. (June 2024)

PR »  BUSINESS GREEN »

Growth in demand for oil will likely slow by the end of this decade as clean technologies and gains in energy efficiency offset rising demand,  according to“Oil 2024: Analysis and Forecast to 2030,” from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Global oil demand of over 102 million barrels a day last year could plateau at about 106 million barrels per day (b/d) by 2030, while production of oil is expected to rise, possibly to 114 million b/d by 2030. The report warns oil companies to prepare for the change in market dynamics and their impact on security, trade, and investment. (June 2024)

AXIOS »

Lazard Levelized Cost of Energy+ (LCOE+)   (Lazard) —Finds that macroeconomic pressures have raised the lower end of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for certain renewables for the first time ever.  Yet renewables continue to becost-competitive with conventional generation.  Solar PV (utility scale) costs $29-92/MWh and Onshore Wind $27-73/MWh compared to Gas Combined Cycle of $45-108/MWh, Coal $69-168, and Nuclear $142-222. U.S. federal tax subsidies bring solar and wind costs down further while carbon pricing (of $40-60/ton) shifts coal to $106-175/MWh and Gas Combined Cycle to $61-$134/MWh. The report also compares levelized storage costs and levelized hydrogen costs. (June 2024)

Global spending on clean energy technologies and infrastructure is on track to hit $2 trillion in 2024, nearly twice as much as is being spent on coal, gas, and oil,  according to a new report bythe International Energy Agency. While higher financing costs have limited some investments, this has been partially offset by easing supply chain pressures and falling prices. Spending on solar PVs is set to grow to $500 billion in 2024.  And China is set to account for the largest share of clean energy spending at $675 billion, with the EU second at $370 billion, and the U.S. third at $315 billion. (June 2024)

PR »  REUTERS »

During the summer of 2023, wind and solar generated about 25% of all electricity consumed in ERCOT  (Electric Reliability Council of Texas),according a new report. This reduced water withdrawals by about 665 billion gallons, avoided 31.3 million tons of CO2, and generated benefits of about $1.9 billion from electricity price reductions, reduced water use, and the social cost of carbon (calculated at $20/ton). (June 2024)

Clean energy and transportation investment in the United States continued its record-setting growth in Q1 of 2024, reaching a new high of $71 billion, according to theClean Investment Monitor: Q1 2024 Update. The report focused on three sectors: manufacturing, energy and industry, and retail. (June 2024)

CLEAN INVESTMENT MONITOR »  AXIOS »

The magnitude and characteristics of future electricity demand drivers in the U.S. are likely resulting in underestimates of forecasting and planning for utilities and grid system operators, says a new report from the Brattle Group.The report examines major drivers of demand growth — data centers, cryptocurrency mining, and electrification of industry, transport, and buildings — and suggests new, more granular load forecasting and planning processes are required. (May 2024)

EXEC SUMMARY »

The U.S. industrial sector is set to overtake the transportation sector as the country’s greatest source of planet-warming pollution, according to new research from the Rhodium Group. Since 2005, the industrial sector—which includes chemical refining, food processing, oil and gas production, steelmaking, and cement manufacturing—has decarbonized just 7%, compared to 36% for the power sector.Under current policies, industrial sector emissions are estimated to fall by an additional 5 to 10 percent by 2040 through the deployment of carbon capture and hydrogen technologies. Greater reductions will require additional policy action and higher public and private spending commitments. (May 2024)

RHG »  CANARY MEDIA »

Advanced Clean Technology Manufacturing (International Energy Agency (IEA)) — Analyzes investment in clean energy technology manufacturing for five technologies: solar PV, wind, batteries, electrolyzers, and heat pumps. Key findings include (May 2024):

• In 2023, investment in clean technology manufacturing increased 70% over 2022 to$200 billion,accounting for 0.7% of global investment across all sectors of the economy and for around 4% of global GDP growth and nearly 10% of global investment growth.
• Over 90% of the total investments were in solar PV ($77 billion) and battery manufacturing plants ($110 billion).
• China accounted for 75% of global investments in clean technology manufacturing in 2023, down from 85% in 2022, as investments in the U.S. and Europe grew.
• 40% of investments in 2023 are due to come online in 2024 (and nearly 70% for battery manufacturing facilities).

PR »  EDIE »

Clean energy added around $320 billion to the world economy in 2023, about 10% of global GDP growth,  according to new analysis by the International Energy Agency. This includes manufacturing of clean energy technologies, deployment of clean power capacity, and clean equipment sales (such as electric vehicles and heat pumps).Clean energy accounted for about 6% of GDP growth in the U.S., one-fifth of GDP growth in China, and one-third of GDP growth in the EU.  (April 2024)

PR »

The global wind industry installed a record 117 GW of new capacity in 2023, a 50% year-on-year increase from 2022,  according tothe Global Wind Report 2024. 54 countries built new wind power in 2023, with China installing 75.9 GW, over 64% of all new capacity. (April 2024)

EDIE »

Electricity projects with a cumulative capacity of 2.6 TW are currently queued for interconnection in the U.S.,  according toa new report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 908 GW entered into queues in 2023; another 1,690 GW were already queued up. 95% of capacity in queues is from solar (1,086 GW), storage (1,028 GW), and wind (366 GW).  (April 2024)

CANARY MEDIA »

Renewables 2024 Global Status Report (REN21) — This first released module of the 2024 edition (Global Overview) provideshigh-level trends on the status of renewables in the wider energy system, including (April 2024):

• Rising energy demand is not yet being met by renewables, leading to a 1.1% increase in energy related CO2 emissions in 2023.
• The 473 GW of renewable power capacity added in 2023 is a new record, however, it falls short of the 1,000 GW needed annually to meet global climate commitments.
• Investment in renewables also reached $623 billion in 2023, but needs to reach $1.3 trillion annually through the end of the decade.
• The cost of capital for renewable energy projects is increasingly unequally globally, ranging from less than 4% in developed countries to over 10% in developing countries.
• Worldwide,an estimated 3,000 GW of renewable energy projects remained underdeveloped as of 2023 due to inadequate grid infrastructure, insufficient financing, and permitting delays.
• Urgent focus on“renewable energy enablers” like policies, permitting, and finance is needed to achieve the energy transition.

PR »  BLOOMBERG »

Almost all oil and gas companies are targeting new developments and production increases in the near-term, and most are in the longer-term, according toa new analysis of the 25 largest listed oil and gas companies by Carbon Tracker. Grading on an A-H scale, 18 companies received an F or lower, and none are currently aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement, based on metrics including production plans, emissions targets, and investment options. (March 2024)

PR »  AXIOS »

While cement usage has likely peaked in developed regions,demand outside of the OECD and China is likely to rise from 30% of the global total today to 56% in 2050 to 84% in 2100, according tonew research from Rhodium Group. Cement manufacturing is currently responsible for 6% of global GHG emissions, a number thatcould grow by up to 17%  (67% probability) or decline by up to 39% by 2050, depending on economic and population dynamics. (March 2024)

REUTERS »

U.S. methane emissions are about three times higher than government estimates, according toa new study in Nature   based on one million aerial measurements of oil and gas production sites across six regions. The majority of well site emissions come from a small percentage of well sites (<2%). Midstream facilities and pipelines contribute 18-57% of estimated regional emissions.These emissions add up to an annual $1 billion in lost commercial gas value and $9.3 billion in social cost.  (March 2024)

AXIOS »

In 2022, total greenhouse gas emissions from the global aluminum sector did not grow, even as aluminum production did, according to data from the International Aluminium Institute. Aluminum production grew 3.9% to 108 million metric tons in 2022, while GHG emissions from the industry declined from 1.13 gigatons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) to 1.11 gigatons.Carbon intensity declined 4.4%  from 15.8 to 15.1 tons of CO2e per ton of aluminum. (March 2024)

PR »  REUTERS »

Clean energy and transportation investment in the U.S. set another record in Q4 2023, increasing 40% from Q4 2022 to $67 billion, according toRhodium Group’s Clean Investment Monitor. Over all of 2023, clean investment reached$239 billion, up 38% from 2022. Clean investment now accounts for5% of all private investment in structures, equipment, and durable consumer goods in the U.S. (up from 3.7% at the end of 2022). Investment in emerging climate technologies jumped tenfold from $0.9 billion in 2022 to $9.1 billion in 2023. (March 2024)

BLOOMBERG »

Global energy-related CO2 emissions hit a new record of 37.4 billion metric tons in 2023, though growth slowed to 1.1%,  according to a new report by theInternational Energy Agency (IEA). Ashortfall in hydropower  due to extreme droughts in China, the U.S. and elsewhere resulted inover 40% of the rise in 2023 emissions. Emissions grew in China and India, but advanced economies saw a record fall, even as their GDP grew. Clean energy growth played a key role in this slowdown of emissions growth, asIEA’s new Clean Energy Market Monitor details. Wind and solar PV additions reached a record of almost 540 GW in 2023, up 75% from 2022 levels. And from 2019 to 2023, growth in clean energy was twice as large as that of fossil fuels.  (March 2024)

PR »  AXIOS »

Corporations bought a record 46 GW of solar and wind through PPAs (power purchase agreements) in 2023, up 12% from 2021, according to BloombergNEF. About 45% of corporate PPAs were in the Americas and 33% in Europe, with European growth the most robust (up 74% over 2022 to 15.4 GW). The U.S. made up largest market at 17.4 GW (38%), but shrunk 16% compared to 2022. CEF Member Amazon was the largest single corporate clean energy buyer in 2023 at 8.8 GW. (Feb 2024)

RENEWABLES NOW »  EDIE »

U.S. electricity consumption will reach record levels in 2024 and 2025,  increasing from 3.99 trillion kWh in 2023 to 4.11 trillion kWh in 2024 and 4.12 trillion kWh in 2025, according to the   U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook. Natural gas will stay at 42% of the total mix in 2024, while coal will fall from 17% in 2023 to 15% in 2024 and to 14% in 2025. Renewables  will increase from 22% in 2023 to 24% in 2024 and to 26% in 2025.Nuclear will hold at 19%. (Feb 2024)

PR »  REUTERS »

While economy-wide fossil fuel demand is very likely to flatten or decline through 2050, natural gas demand is on track to increase as much as 47% by then, according tonew research by the Rhodium Group. While overall fossil fuel use in electric power is projected to fall 15-55% by 2050, natural gas is projected to increase by 20%.Oil consumption will likely fall 20-40% by 2050 due primarily to the shift to electric vehicles. However, the non-energy share of total fossil fuel consumption is projected to increase from 13% to 19% by 2050. (Feb 2024)

AXIOS »

Global clean energy investment increased 17% in 2023, reaching a record $1.77 trillion, according to research by BloombergNEF.Electrified transport surpassed renewable energy, growing 36%, and is now the largest sector, at $634 billion.Renewable energy grew 8% to $623 billion. Power grid investment  was third at $310 billion. China made up 38% of the total invested ($676 billion). Together,the EU, UK, and U.S. made up $718 billion, surpassing China, unlike in 2022. (Feb 2024)

PR »  BLOOMBERG »

Electricity generation from low-emissions sources (solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear) should account for about half of the world’s electricity generation by 2026  (up from just under 40% in 2023), according to   a new report   by the International Energy Agency. Electricity demand is projected to accelerate to an average of3.4% per year from 2024 to 2026, with about 85% of the increase expected outside advanced economies.Low-emissions sources are expected to cover all global demand growth over this period.  (Jan 2024)

PR »  REUTERS »  EDIE »

Renewable energy project developers selling unused U.S. tax credits to other companies made up a market worth between $7-9 billion in 2023,  according toa report by Crux Climate, an online platform that brokers these credits. (Jan 2024)

PR »  REUTERS »

U.S. emissions were down 1.9% in 2023, even while the economy expanded 2.4%, according to research by the Rhodium Group. U.S. emissions remained below pre-pandemic levels and dropped 17.2% below 2005 levels. Transportation sector emissions increased 1.6% and industrial sector emissions increased 1%, while emissions in the power sector declined 8% and residential and commercial buildings dropped 4%. (Jan 2024)

AXIOS »

Solar is expected to supply almost all growth in U.S. electricity generation according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). New capacity will boost the solar share of total generation to 5.6% in 2024 and 7.0% in 2025, up from 4.0% in 2023. Oil and natural gas production will also establish new records in 2024 and 2025, while coal production will drop 26% over the next two years.Battery storage capacity could also grow 89% by the end of 2024 if developers bring all planned energy storage systems online by intended operation dates. (Jan 2024)

PR »  REUTERS »

Renewable energy capacity grew by 510 GW in 2023, up by 50% over 2022, according to the International Energy Agency. The largest growth occurred in China, which commissioned as much solar PV as the entire world did in 2022. Renewable energy in Europe, the U.S. and Brazil also hit all-time highs. Renewable capacity is forecast to grow to 7,300 GW over the 2023-2028 period, and is expected to overtake coal to become the largest source of global electricity generation by early 2025. (Jan 2024)

PR »  ESG TODAY »

List of Market Indicators & Trends: Energy & Carbon, 2023 - 2019 (PDF)

Energy Management

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Efficiency Now: Overcoming internal barriers to industrial energy efficiency (Energy Efficiency Movement (EEM)) — Explores the current state of industrial energy efficiency practices, barriers to implementation, and actionable strategies to accelerate energy efficiency adoption, based on a survey of 294 companies across industries. 68% of respondents perceive that their energy efficiency budget is increasing year on year and 60% say their companies invest in more than two energy efficiency measures (e.g. installing equipment, setting indicators to track progress, and attaining relevant certifications). However, the report found there were five main barriers to implementing energy efficiency measures: financial concerns (43% ranked this as the top barrier), infrastructure challenges (19% ranked as top), insufficient skills (15%), strategic shortcomings (12%), and data and control challenges (11%). The report provides steps to overcome each of these barriers. It concludes with a series of case studies demonstrating "exceptional leadership" in advancing energy efficiency in industry. (May 2025)

EDIE »

Rethinking Load Growth: Assessing the Potential for Integration of Large Flexible Loads in US Power Systems (Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability) — This first-of-its-kind, nationwide analysis assesses how much new flexible load could be added across the 22 largest U.S. balancing authorities,  which collectively serve 95% of the grid. It finds that 76 GW of new load (a tenth of peak electricity demand) could be added without costly system upgrades, as long as those loads can curtail their power use when the grid is most stressed, averaging about 0.25% of their maximum uptime each year. 98 GW of new load could be integrated at a 0.5% curtailment rate, and 126 GW at a 1.0% rate. With modest flexibility measures, such as reducing consumption, shifting operations, or using on-site generation or storage, the grid can absorb significant additional loads (a concept authors call “curtailment-enabled headroom”). This offers a near-term strategy for regulators and market participants to incorporate new loads, while reducing the costs of capacity expansion. (Feb 2025)

PR »  HEATMAP »

The Influence of Demand-Side Data Granularity on the Efficacy of 24/7 Carbon-Free Electricity Procurement (Zero-carbon Energy Systems Research and Optimization Laboratory (ZERO LAB)) — Explores the system-level impacts of 24/7 Carbon-Free Electricity (CFE) procurement  in scenarios where buyers can access granular supply-side data but not granular data for their own demand. The study models procurement of hypothetical commercial and industrial electricity consumers and finds (Nov 2024):

• The system-level impacts of 24/7 CFE procurement are relatively consistent even when using an approximation of a consumer’s true demand profile.
• Participants’ incentives to procure emerging CFE generation and storage technologies are not significantly affected by the use of estimated load profiles.
• Use of load profiles with different levels of granularity has very little impact on the accuracy of granular Scope 2 attributional emissions accounting.
• Technology portfolios procured to match approximate profiles are very similar to those used to match the true demand.

GridUp   (RMI) — Helps utilities forecast when and where energy and power demands will materialize because of vehicle electrification. The tool can forecast electric vehicle power needs at the census block group level, giving decision-makers detailed information to quickly upgrade the grid to meet increased demand for EV charging infrastructure. (Aug 2024)

PR » 

Some long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies have achieved lower costs for longer durations compared to lithium-ion battery systems, according to BloombergNEF’s inaugural Long-Duration Energy Storage Cost Survey. The survey covered seven LDES technology groups and 20 technology types. Eight-hour storage using thermal energy and compressed air technologies had an average capital expenditure of $232 per kilowatt-hour and $293/kWh, respectively, compared to lithium-ion systems whose average capex was $304/kWh for four-hour duration systems in 2023. In China, the average capex for leading LDES technologies is 50-70% lower than in non-Chinese markets.  Still, most LDES technology—which are able to store and dispatch energy to the grid for longer periods than standard battery storage—is still nascent and expensive, and LDES costs are unlikely to fall as fast as lithium-ion batteries in the current decade. (June 2024)

BNEF »   RECHARGE »

Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Innovative Grid Deployment (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)) — Explores 20 advanced grid solutions (across four categories) currently available that can increase the capacity of the existing U.S. grid  to support 20-100 GW of incremental peak demand in the near-term (3-5 years), while also improving grid reliability, resilience, affordability, and sustainability. The report describes priority actions different stakeholders can take  (including utilities, governance boards, policymakers, and solution providers) to accelerate deployment of these solutions. It also includes appendixes that list DOE funding and technical assistance and DOE grid-related programs (pp. 66-8). There will be a launch webinar on 13 May at 10:30am ET. (Register here.)   (April 2024)

PR »   LATITUDE MEDIA »

Energy efficiency: Net zero’s invisible ally   (Climate Group) — Tracks energy efficiency progress of Climate Group’s EP100 members. Key findings (March 2024):

• To date, the 127 EP100 members have reduced their emissions by 395 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, including 54.4 million tons in 2023.
• Members have reported cost savings of $1.6 billion since the implementation of energy efficiency measures, with $290 million in savings in 2023.
• Members had an average annual improvement in energy productivity of 6%, with 78% of members set to meet their energy productivity goal before their target date.
• Three EP100 members, including CEF member Schneider Electric, hit their energy efficiency targets in 2023.

PR »   EDIE »

Energy Transition Academy: Targeted Learning   (RMI and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)) — Provides two new tools to help advance renewable energy development.  These include training on how to use NREL’s System Advisor Model  (SAM is a computer model to calculate performance and financial metrics of renewable energy projects),  and a how-to guide on operating and maintaining battery energy storage systems.  (Feb 2024)

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GETting Interconnected in PJM   (RMI) — Assesses the potential for grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) to facilitate the cost-effective, timely interconnection of new generation across five states within the PJM transmission region. It finds that GETs (hardware and software solutions deployed within an existing transmission system) would enable the integration of 6.6 GW of new clean energy on the PJM’s grid. By freeing transmission capacity, the 95 GETs projects considered would generate approximately $1 billion in production cost savings per year. The report also finds that GETs are significantly cheaper than the default network upgrades that interconnection customers could face. (Feb 2024)

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Transforming Energy Demand   (World Economic Forum) — A set of business actions aimed at reducing the intensity of energy demand could unlock annual savings of at least $2 trillion for the global economy  if measures are taken by the end of this decade, according to this new report. It highlights practical actions businesses can take, including: energy efficiency, value chain collaboration, industrial clustering, retrofitting buildings, electrification of transport, and using artificial intelligence to optimize factory line design. These changes, which are cost-efficient and technologically feasible now, could reduce energy intensity by 31% across all economic sectors. (Jan 2024)

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Global Cooling Watch 2023: Keeping it chill (United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)) — Installed capacity of cooling equipment is projected to triple by 2050, driven by income and population growth, and resulting in a more than doubling of electricity consumption for cooling. However, key measures could slow power growth, and cut predicted emissions by 60-96%. This could also reduce pressure on power grids, and save end-users $1 trillion and the power sector up to $5 trillion annually. The report outlines key actions to take in (Dec 2023):

• Passive cooling strategies, such as insulation, natural shading, and ventilation.
• Higher energy efficiency standards and better labelling of all cooling equipment.
• A faster phase down of climate-warming hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants.
• Using financial tools to realize the life-cycle cost savings of $22 trillion, and make sustainable cooling affordable, such as on-bill financing, green mortgages, and public/private investments.

PR »   EDIE »

The Case for Industrial Energy Efficiency   (Energy Efficiency Movement) — Estimates that if applied across industry, ten simple measures could save almost 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions a year by 2025  and about 4 million metric tons by 2030 (a reduction of 11% of global emissions in 2030). This could save an estimated $437 billion by 2030. The ten measures are divided into three pillars including (Oct 2023):

1. Build an efficiency foundation by auditing operations for energy efficiency; right-sizing industrial assets and processes; and bringing connectivity to physical assets;
2. Drive efficiency returns through installing high-efficiency motors; using variable speed drives; electrifying industrial vehicle fleets; maintaining efficient heat exchangers; and switching to heat pumps;
3. Gain efficiency insights by deploying smart building management systems and making data management more efficient by using cloud technologies.

PR »   REUTERS »

The international business group, the Corporate Leaders Network for Climate Action, published a briefing that highlights the vital role renewable electricity storage solutions (ESSs) play in unlocking clean energy’s full potential.  The report   gathers insights from across many regions and investigates ESS technologies including hydropower, liquid air storage, utility-scale batteries and thermal energy storage. It offers five key recommendations for businesses and policymakers, including tailoring ESSs to country contexts, increasing regulatory certainty; cultivating a supportive financial environment; and creating regional power pools to increase variety of renewable energy resources and reduce the need for ESSs. (May 2023)

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Climate Intelligence   — Ecolab and Siemens launched this new tool that lets utilities and industrial businesses virtually model different scenarios across their water and energy systems to identify opportunities to conserve water and power while also lowering their greenhouse gas emissions.  Combining modeling with plant data, the tool has reduced average plant CO2 emissions by tens of thousands of metric tons per year, while reducing energy costs, without additional capital expenditure. (Oct 2022)

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UNILEVER  — Will launch pilots in Germany and Indonesia to determine whether the temperature of retail-sales freezer cabinets for its ice cream products can increase from the current industry standard 18°C (-.4°F) to 12°C (10.5°F) without a loss of product performance. Doing so would lower energy usage and emissions associated with freezing by 20–30%. If the pilots are successful, the company will then experiment with a similar temperature increase in last mile freezers in its delivery operations, starting in markets where those carbon footprints are the highest. (May 2022)

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Google Nest, Resideo,  and distributed energy resource (DER) software company Voltus  are teaming up to help electricity providers harness the grid-stabilizing potential of residential smart thermostats. They have created a program, in partnership with PJM Interconnection—the largest electric grid operator in the United States—that offers customers incentives to grant permission for grid operators to remotely control their HVAC usage during peak times. (April 2022)

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"Granular Certificate Scheme Standard”  and  “Granular Certificate Use Case Guidelines”  (EnergyTag Initiative) — The first-ever proposed international standard and guidelines  for how to track and confirm hour-by-hour (24/7) carbon-free energy credits  using “granular energy certificates,” a form of energy attribute documentation with a timestamp of when the energy is produced. “Consumers can then use [the] instrument to say where their energy came from in a specific hour or half-hour period,” according to EnergyTag founder Toby Ferenczi. (April 2022)
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Accenture, Duke Energy, and Microsoft are partnering to create a new platform that provides near-real-time data on methane emissions from Duke Energy’s natural gas distribution systems. The platform will be hosted on Microsoft Azure, and Accenture—in collaboration with Avande, its joint venture with Microsoft—will apply its AI, analytics, and cloud computing expertise. Platform implementation is expected by October. (Aug 2021)
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ENEL — Launched its “Flexibility Lab” initiative to enable advanced testing of flexible energy distribution solutions for improved electricity networks.  The initiative consists of 4 decentralized test centers in Italy and Spain capable of replicating real and complex operating conditions of electrical networks while maintaining “technological neutrality.” (May 2021)
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Energytag and Granular Energy Certificates: Accelerating the Transition To 24/7 Clean Power   (Energy Tag) — Describes how the world’s largest energy consumers and producers can use hourly energy certificates to maximize clean energy 24/7.Summarizes the history of existing energy attribute certificates (EACs) and accounting frameworks, the starting principles behind the EnergyTag Initiative, and the first EnergyTag demonstrator projects. (May 2021)

Utility Transition Hub   (RMI) — A web-based tool to help utility-sector stakeholders chart a path toward an equitable and affordable transition away from fossil fuels for regulated utilities.  Tracks outcomes—including emissions, plant retirements, and additions—investments and other forces driving future emissions. (May 2021)

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A Circular Economy for Solar Photovoltaic System Materials (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) — Analyzes drivers, barriers, and enablers to a circular economy for PV system materials in the U.S., including state policies and initiatives expressly addressing reuse, recycling, and disposal of PV system equipment. It provides case studies of US business models for the repair, reuse, recycling of PV modules, and balance of solar (BOS) equipment.  (April 2021) 

Beyond 1000+ Solutions Guide: Beta Version (Solar Impulse Foundation) — A database of currently available climate technology solutions, searchable by geography, industry, financial, and environmental impact.  Listed solutions were assessed by a team of 400 independent industry experts and demonstrate either energy conservation or efficiency benefits with profitability potential. A beta version of the guide is available; the full launch planned in November for COP26. (April 2021)

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The Design Space for Long-duration Energy Storage in Decarbonized Power Systems (Nature Energy) —Identifies the cost and efficiency performance necessary for LDES to substantially reduce electricity costs and displace low-carbon generation. Finds LDES energy capacity cost must fall below $10/kWh to replace nuclear power and in order to replace all firm power options entirely, the cost must fall below $1/kWh.  (April 2021)

GOOGLE  — Piloting a new approach to certify and match clean energy with its data centers  on an hourly basis: “Time-based Energy Attribute Certificates (T-EACs).” (March 2021)

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“Modeling A Clean Energy Future For The United States” (Breakthrough Energy Sciences) finds the U.S. could reduce its emissions by 42% and achieve 70% carbon-free electricity by 2030 with electricity grid investments totaling $1.5 trillion. Researchers of the Bill Gates-founded organization make a case for modernizing how clean energy is nationally distributed. (March 2021)

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“Unlocking the Queue with Grid-Enhancing Technologies” (Brattle) analyzes how much additional renewable energy can be added to the national electricity grid with Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs). The researchers suggest that GETs could  (March 2021):

• Double the amount of renewables that can be integrated into the electricity grid prior to building new large-scale transmission lines
• Avoid 90 million tons of carbon emissions per year
• Save $5 billion in yearly energy production costs, with upfront investment paid back in 6 months
• Create 330,000 local construction jobs and 20,000 high-paying operations jobs 

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“Electrifying U.S. Industry: A Technology and Process-Based Approach to Decarbonization” (Global Efficiency Intelligence, Renewable Thermal Collaborative, David Gardiner and Associates) analyzes the current state of industrial electrification needs, the technologies available, and the potential for electrification in 13 industrial sub-sectors, including crude soybean oil, paper products, and container glass.   (January 2021)

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A Users Guide to Comprehensive Energy Management (GreenBiz Group & Siemens Building Technologies, 2018) outlines recommendations to advance comprehensive energy management and accelerate investment in a clean energy future.

Clean (Alternative) Energies

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76% of global clean-tech factory investment in 2024 supported manufacturing in mainland China, according to BloombergNEF’s Energy Transition Supply Chains 2025 report. The U.S. has led in offering clean-tech manufacturing subsidies, however political risks make the outcomes of $110 billion in planned factories across multiple sectors uncertain. Clean energy imports (measured in dollar terms) fell for the first time in 2024, a reflection of price declines for solar and battery equipment. Overcapacity is also having an effect on profitability, with earnings margins for five major Chinese solar firms dropping from 12.4% to 4.7% in 2024. This may further impede the U.S. and other countries’ efforts to onshore clean-tech supply chains. (May 2025)

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Realistic roles for hydrogen in the future energy transition (Nature Reviews Clean Technology) — Examines various applications of hydrogen, with a particular emphasis on which applications are “realistic.” The research finds that hydrogen’s use in home heating and cars is “among the least promising applications,” as these are being electrified at a rapid rate (battery electric vehicles currently outsell hydrogen fuel-cell models by 1,000-to-1). Hydrogen holds more potential in industry, long-duration energy storage, and long-haul transport, however, its competitiveness depends on “large-scale deployment yielding substantial cost reductions.” The research also notes that hydrogen cost estimates vary widely; 2030 targets will be difficult to achieve; and the climate and broader environmental impacts (such as water intensity and PFAS pollution) of hydrogen are “uncertain.” (April 2025)

CARBON BRIEF »

Energy for economic development, electric vehicles, cooling needs, and data centers are the leading drivers of energy demand through 2050, while growth in renewable energy is expected to help reduce emissions by an estimated 22%, according to BloombergNEF’s New Energy Outlook 2025. The report focuses on its Economic Transition Scenario and includes these projections (April 2025):

• Demand for electric power rises 75% by 2050, with data centers representing 8.7% of final power demand in 2050.
• Renewables generation increases 84% in the five years to 2030 then doubles again by 2050.
• The share of coal, gas and oil in the power system drops to 25% in 2050, from 58% in 2024.
• Hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, clean fuels and low-carbon industrial processes all struggle to make an impact.
• Sustainable aviation fuels account for just 6% of final energy use by 2035, and 7% by 2050, because of high costs.
• Emissions from shipping fall nearly 30% by 2050, due to optimized operations, liquefied natural gas (LNG) uptake, and some progress on methanol and ammonia.
• Energy-related emissions from industry increase a modest 6% globally by 2050 as low-carbon technologies and processes make little impact.
• By 2050, fossil fuels provide 88% of the energy used to produce steel – which is similar to today’s levels.

BNEF »  EDIE »

Sustainable Energy in America 2025 Factbook (BloombergNEF and the Business Council for Sustainability ) —  Reviews 2024 U.S. market and policy trends related to renewables, efficiency, natural gas, distributed power and storage, sustainable transportation and  . It also contains data on clean energy investment flows, and the voluntary and compliance carbon markets. Highlights include (Feb 2025):   

• Renewables and nuclear provided 42% of all U.S. power, an all-time high.
• 48.4 GW of new utility-scale power generation and storage capacity was commissioned, the highest total since 2003.
• Natural gas and renewables together provided 67% of U.S. electricity, up from 47% a decade ago.
• Coal’s share of the U.S. power mix fell to 15%, from 33% a decade ago.
• $338 billion in financing was deployed for energy technologies, including renewable energy, EVs, and power grid investment, up from $303 billion in 2023.
• Corporate procurement of renewable energy totaled a record 28 GW, a 34% increase from 2022.
• $8 billion was invested across supply chain segments for the hydrogen electrolyzer, wind, solar, and battery sectors.
• Economy-wide emissions were 15.8% below 2005 levels, and power sector emissions were 41% lower.
• The total cost of climate-related disasters nearly doubled from 2023, to $182.7 billion.

AXIOS »

Cipher Cleantech Tracker (Cipher News) — Maps clean energy projects (both deployment and manufacturing) in the U.S. This latest update adds energy storage as a new category.  (Dec 2024)

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Halcyon Notifications (Halcyon) — This new beta version email notification system offers daily alerts from seven U.S. state public utility commissions, providing docket and document summarization and the documents sorted by dockets. Key figures, dates, and timelines will also be highlighted. (Nov 2024)

PR »  LINKEDIN »

Strategic Investment in Low-Carbon Hydrogen Offtake: A Toolkit for Senior Leaders   (World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Baker McKenzie) — Offers business and board leadership practical guidance to manage complex decision-making and investment decisions around the adoption of low-carbon hydrogen. Based on interviews and workshops with hydrogen suppliers and offtakers, it offers two case studies and four practical actions to navigate this emerging market, including: 1) Eliminate internal barriers to align low-carbon hydrogen investments with decarbonization goals; 2) Identify business locations and segments where low-carbon hydrogen can significantly reduce emissions; 3) Explore internal supply chain projects; and 4) Collaborate with suppliers and stakeholders across the value chain.  (Oct 2024)

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Integrating Solar and Wind: Global experience and emerging challenges (International Energy Agency (IEA)) — Up to 15% of variable renewable energy (VRE) (e.g. solar PV and wind) could be jeopardized if countries fail to implement integration measures for these electricity sources,  resulting in up to a 20% smaller reduction of CO2 emissions in the power sector. The report is a first-ever global assessment of VRE integration across 50 power systems accounting for nearly 90% of solar PV and wind power generation, and identifies proven measures for facilitating VRE integration, particularly in systems at early phases of adoption. It calls for strategic government action, enhanced infrastructure, and regulatory reforms to ensure the successful large-scale integration of VRE to meet global energy transition targets. (Sept 2024)

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The Clean Growth Tool   (RMI) — Identifies the states, cities, and regions where clean energy industries are most likely to thrive in the U.S. based on their underlying economic strength.  The tool offers two geographic filters — metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which includes cities and their immediate surroundings, and economic area (EA), which covers both urban and rural areas. It shows that regions in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, and North Carolina, which have attracted cleantech investment in the wake of the Inflation Reduction Act, could extend their leadership in manufacturing solar components, batteries, and electric vehicles. (Aug 2024)

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The Geothermal Exploration Opportunities Map (GeoMap) North America   (Project InnerSpace in partnership with Google) — Expands this geothermal exploration tool to North America, to help expand the use and adoption of geothermal energy. It includes surface and subsurface data for Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., with in-depth data for the U.S. GeoMap was also expanded with this new release, with more than 80 additional layers of surface and subsurface data added, bringing the total to 150. These are relevant for exploring natural hydrogen and lithium within geothermal systems. (June 2024)

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Strategies for Affordable and Fair Clean Energy Transitions (International Energy Agency (IEA) — Shows that a more affordable and fairer global energy system is possible through higher levels of upfront investments, especially in emerging and developing economies. Operating costs across the global energy system could be reduced by more than half over the next decade compared with the trajectory of the policy status quo, with a boost of investment in the short term. In addition, fossil fuel subsidies favor incumbent fuels and make investments in clean energy transitions more challenging. The report calls for policies to promote energy efficiency retrofits for low-income households, affordable clean transport options, and use of carbon price revenues to tackle social inequities during energy transitions. (June 2024)

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The global shift to renewables in major energy-consuming sectors slowed in 2023, according to REN21’s Renewables 2024 Global Status Report - Energy Demand Module. By the end of 2023, only 13 countries - including the U.S., India, and China - had implemented renewables policies covering the most critical sectors of buildings, industry, transport, and agriculture. And of 69 countries with renewable energy targets for end-users, only 17 extended them beyond 2024. The report blamed regulatory gaps, political pressures, and a failure to set clear targets for the lack of progress. (June 2024)

REN21 »   REUTERS »

System-level impacts of voluntary carbon-free electricity procurement strategies (Joule) — Assesses the system-level impacts of carbon-free electricity (CFE) procurement in the western U.S. While CFE procurement matched annually has “minimal impact on long-run system-level CO2 emissions,” matching demand on an hourly basis with CFE generation (temporal matching) can drive significant reductions in CO2 emissions while incentivizing clean firm generation and long-duration storage technologies (as well as increasing procurement costs). (Feb 2024)

LATITUDE MEDIA »

Building Trust through an Equitable and Inclusive Energy Transition   (World Economic Forum (WEF)) — Outlines a framework to guide policymakers and energy sector leaders towards a just, equitable, and inclusive energy transition,  particularly in developing economies, which account for less than one-fifth of global clean energy investments. Its findings make clear that failure to do so could severely delay the transition.  The report also includes 10 unresolved questions that need to be addressed to achieve a just transition, such as how to ensure affordable energy access for all and how to fairly distribute opportunities and costs of the transition (see p. 15). (Jan 2024)

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Geothermal Exploration Opportunities Map (GeoMap Beta)   (Project InnerSpace and Google) — This tool uses surface and subsurface data to reveal untapped geothermal potential in regions where new clean energy sources are needed. The beta version released at COP28 features the African continent as its first case study, with increasing resolution for Nigeria and Lagos. Additional continents and high resolution case studies will be released over the next 12-24 months. (Dec 2023)

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Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2022 (International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)) — In 2022, the global weighted average levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) from newly commissioned utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV), onshore wind, concentrating solar power (CSP), bioenergy and geothermal energy all fell, despite rising materials and equipment costs. In 2010, the global weighted average LCOE of onshore wind was 95% higher than the cheapest fossil fuel-fired cost; in 2022, the global weighted average LCOE of new onshore wind projects was 52% lower than the cheapest fossil fuel-fired solutions. For solar, the LCOE was 710% more expensive than the cheapest fossil-fuel fired solution in 2010 but cost 29% less than the cheapest fossil-fuel fired solution in 2022. Offshore wind and concentrating solar power were still more expensive than the cheapest fossil-fuel fired solution in 2022 (71% and 17% respectively). In 2022, the renewable power deployed globally since 2000 saved an estimated $521 billion in fuel costs in the electricity sector.  (Sept 2023)

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Renewable Energy Materials Properties Database (REMPD)   (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)) — The DOE released a first-of-its-kind database that catalogs specific materials, such as minerals and other basic components, used to build wind turbines and solar panels. The database also includes information about the availability, country of origin, physical properties, and significant uses of materials that make up wind and solar facilities. Along with the database, researchers at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released a report   to help developers, utilities, and other stakeholders understand how current and future wind energy development might affect global material supply and demand. This contains analysis to support both a Current Policies scenario (incorporating the Inflation Reduction Act) as well as a High Deployment scenario consistent with a net-zero economy by 2050. (Aug 2023)

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Power with Purpose: Driving Change Through Clean Energy Procurement (Rivian and The Nature Conservancy) — Describes the partnership between electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian and The Nature Conservancy to develop open-source guidance for companies to meet renewable energy needs while supporting 3C (climate, conservation, and community) goals.  The case study shares the lessons learned and best practices for applying this 3C framework based on a national procurement process, refined over the course of two solicitation cycles that covered over 100 offers and 14 GW of offered capacity. It provides a market-tested open-source toolkit, including sample Request for Proposals (RFP) content, a complete Offer Form and scoring template, assessment guidance, and other recommendations to help companies adopt purpose-driven clean energy projects.  (May 2023)

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Real Reliability: The Value of Virtual Power (The Brattle Group) — Models the potential of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) to provide power system resource adequacy in the U.S. in 2030.  (VPPs are portfolios of actively controlled distributed energy resources.) The report finds that a 60 GW VPP, using commercially available residential load flexibility technologies, could meet future resource adequacy needs at a net cost that is $15-35 billion lower than alternative options (e.g. gas-fired generators or battery storage) over a 10-year period. Factoring in additional societal benefits (e.g. lower emissions and increased resilience) a 60 GW VPP could provide an additional $20 billion in value over 10-years. (May 2023)

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The Global Electronics Council (GEC) announced the addition of criteria within its EPEAT ecolabel system focused on decarbonizing the supply chain for  solar panel production.  These criteria are the first by a global ecolabel to set thresholds on the embodied carbon in photovoltaics (PV) and will be a requirement for achieving the EPEAT ecolabel designation for PV modules. This label will help address Scope 3 emissions for purchasers of solar panels or electricity from solar installations. (March 2023)

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Pathways to Commercial Liftoff   (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)) — The DOE released a set of reports that represent a new department-wide initiative to strengthen engagement between the public and private sectors to accelerate the commercialization and deployment of key clean energy technologies. The reports provide the private sector and other industry partners a valuable, engagement-driven resource on how and when three technologies can reach full scale deployment. Reports and takeaways include (March 2023):

• Clean Hydrogen: While poised for full-scale commercialization, infrastructure buildout, demand uncertainty, workforce development, and other challenges to at-scale adoption need to be addressed for clean hydrogen to realize its full potential;
• Advanced Nuclear:  Can complement renewable energy buildout, however, the report identifies several obstacles, including increasing deployment of mature technologies and building efficient and timely delivery models;
• Long Duration Energy Storage:  Has significant potential to improve grid resilience and energy security, however, needs technological progress and increases in public and private investment.

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Improving Procurement for Clean Energy PPAs   (Google and LevelTen Energy) — Established a new standardized approach that reduces the time to negotiate and execute a clean energy purchase power agreement (PPA) by “roughly 80%.”  Most PPA negotiations are long, slowed by limited personnel or time and thus create barriers for clean energy development. This scalable approach improves both the PPA contract, balancing risks between buyer and seller, and the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, allowing sellers to customize risk offsets, verify how their offers are evaluated, and create pricing based on final contractual details. While currently only available to sellers negotiating with Google, this approach will be made available to buyers and sellers later this year.  (March 2023)

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A Guide to 1.5°C-aligned Hydrogen Investments   (World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)) — Provides a framework for investments in different hydrogen production technologies to ensure their lifecycle emissions are aligned with the overall objective of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C.  It details three criteria companies can use to best determine what projects to invest in: decarbonization of lifecycle emissions associated with hydrogen; using hydrogen to decarbonize sectors where alternatives are not available or are less efficient; and no reliance on new fossil fuel exploration or fossil fuel subsidies. The guide also illustrates how various hydrogen production and distribution pathways can implement carbon-intensity reduction measures to such a degree that they will eventually reach a net-zero state in 2050, whether at a project, portfolio, or company level. (Feb 2023)

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EATON / BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions  — Power management company Eaton and BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions are launching a new finance solution for businesses and building owners to accelerate their energy transition while preserving cashflow.  The solution offers a fixed payment to finance renewables, energy storage, and EV charging infrastructure, along with providing access to Eaton’s global service network. (Jan 2023)

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World Resources Institute, the International Solar Alliance, and Bloomberg Philanthropies launched a new roadmap to help meet the need for a massive and more equitable scale-up of investment in solar energy. The roadmap provides recommendations for mobilizing $1 trillion of investment in solar energy solutions by 2030, tackling policy and market barriers in all solar market segments, reducing investment risk in developing and emerging economies, and spurring a new level of international collaboration to overcome global investment challenges at scale. The report examines opportunities to mobilize investment in four market segments: utility-scale solar, off-grid, energy storage, and advanced solar and storage technologies. (Nov 2022)

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System-level impacts of 24/7 carbon-free electricity procurement in Europe (TU Berlin and Google) — Moving from purchasing renewable energy to match annual electricity needs to hourly carbon-free energy targets could reduce company emissions while accelerating grid decarbonization, according to a new study.  The study also showed that this shift would not be more expensive for 90-95% of the switch, though technologies like hydrogen would be needed for prolonged periods of low sun and wind. This transition, if pursued, could spur technology innovation, especially in energy storage. (Oct 2022)

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Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy released a new analysis warning of potential climate risks related to hydrogen leakage, a topic that has received little attention among the burgeoning array of hydrogen strategies and roadmaps published by governments around the world as part of their decarbonization plans.  Hydrogen is not a greenhouse gas (GHG), but when it escapes, it can cause other GHGs to persist longer in the atmosphere. The authors predict that in the future, leaked hydrogen will likely be concentrated in a few key processes (e.g., green hydrogen production, delivery, road transport, and chemical production), and therefore call for improvements in measurement, research into methods of preventing leaks, and new regulations. (July 2022)

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Renewable energy certificates threaten the integrity of corporate science-based targets   (Anders Bjørn, Shannon M. Lloyd, Matthew Brander, H. Damon Matthews) — Asserts that companies’ use of Renewable Energy Credits (RECS) to offset Scope 2 emissions may create a false accounting of their net emissions. The claim is based on recent research that suggests the purchase of RECS is  not likely to increase renewable energy production and is therefore devoid of real offset value. With RECS removed  from the accounting of the 115 companies studied, their collective Scope 2 reductions drop from 31% to 10%, and about half of the companies fall out of alignment with a 1.5°C scenario. Notably, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) currently allows companies to include RECs  in their energy accounting, but the organization is now aware of the problem and exploring options to address it, including possibly updating its Scope 2 target setting criteria. SBTi staff have initiated discussions with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which issues guidance to governments and companies on carbon accounting. (June 2022)

List of Renewable Energy Research, 2021-2016 (PDF)

Data Centers and AI Research

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A Climate Hawk’s Guide to Northwest Data Centers (Sightline Institute) — Analyzes the energy consumption and climate impacts of data centers in Oregon and Washington, which utilize 11% and 6% of the states’ electricity, respectively. It finds that policies in the two states have limited the environmental effects of increased electricity demands, as laws prevent utilities from building new gas or coal-fired power plants to serve data centers in either state. However, utilities are considering building fossil fuel power plants in neighboring states with weaker environmental protections to power data centers in Washington and Oregon. The report offers several recommendations to reduce data centers’ impacts, including: accelerating grid modernization; reducing caps on green tariff programs; lifting limits on data centers’ clean energy procurement; and shifting data centers from passive energy users to active grid participants, such as through participation in utility demand response programs. (May 2025)

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Using life cycle assessment to drive innovation for sustainable cool clouds (Microsoft) — This Nature journal article quantifies for the first time how much energy and water are consumed and GHG emissions are produced by four datacenter cooling techniques across the full life cycle of the datacenters  (from materials and manufacturing to use and disposal). The study examines four types of cooling technologies to cool datacenter chips: air cooling, cold plates, one-phase immersion and two-phase immersion. It found that switching from air cooling to cold plates or immersion technologies could reduce GHG emissions by 15-21%, energy demand by 15-20%, and water consumption by 31-52%  across the datacenters’ lifecycles. The paper aims to inform new datacenter designs and help Microsoft achieve its broader sustainability goals. The methodology is also available through an open research repository to enable others in the industry to conduct life cycle assessments of their own data center operations. (May 2025)

PR »  EDIE »

Securing Full Stack U.S. Leadership in AI (Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)) — Provides a range of scenarios to assess the semiconductor, energy, and capital needs for U.S. leadership across the collection of technologies and infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence systems  (i.e. the full AI stack). It finds that data center expansion will require 80-160 million GPUs of processing power, 40-90 GW of new energy demand, and up to $2.3 trillion in capital expenditures by 2030.  Energy demand for data centers would drive 2% annual growth in U.S. electricity demand, up from the 0.2% observed since 2007. The report then provides a series of recommendations, including: leveraging energy emergency authorities; establishing nuclear powered computation hubs; accelerating grid investments; promoting domestic high-end chip production; and fostering AI innovation hubs. (March 2025)

AXIOS »

Fast, scalable, clean, and cheap enough: How off-grid solar microgrids can power the AI race (Paces, Scale Microgrids, and Stripe) — Ran two-year powerflow models to assess whether off-grid solar microgrids could provide a near-term alternative to building more natural gas plants to meet near-term AI energy needs. Key findings (Dec 2024):

• Operationalizing off-grid solar microgrids could take around 2 years, faster than both new grid interconnections (5+ year queues), and off-grid co-located gas turbines (3+ years).
• Off-grid solar microgrids are at near cost parity with natural gas and cheaper than other clean alternatives, and further cost reduction opportunities are significant.
• Off-grid solar microgrids are also “enormously scalable,” with over 1,200 GW of datacenter potential in the U.S. Southwest alone, enough to cover 4-40 times all datacenter growth projected in the U.S. through 2030.
• Between 0.4 tons and 4.1 billion tons of CO2 emissions could be avoided if every new AI datacenter uses off-grid solar microgrids (based on an estimate of 30–300 GW of new datacenters, using 90% off-grid solar energy).

Clean Energy Collaboration

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Renewable Power Program for Medicine Manufacturing — Pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca, Takeda, and CEF member GSK have partnered along with nine suppliers to collectively procure renewable power in China. The collaboration will unlock approximately 225 GWh of wind and solar electricity annually for the research, development and manufacture of medicines. This builds on a 2024 agreement convened by the Sustainable Markets Initiative to access renewable power in China. (March 2025)

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LARGE ENERGY USERS NUCLEAR PLEDGE — Seven companies, including CEF members Amazon, Google, and Meta, signed the Large Energy Users Pledge, pledging their support (as large users of energy) of a goal to at least triple global nuclear capacity by 2050. This new pledge follows on earlier pledges by 31 countries, 140 nuclear industry companies, and 14 financial institutions. (March 2025)

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Energize — Through this partnership of pharmaceutical and healthcare companies and their suppliers aimed at supporting collective climate action, Haleon, GSK, Gilead Sciences and Thermo Fisher Scientific have collaborated to sign a multi-year buyer Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with developer X-ELIO.  This agreement for 245 GWh of renewable energy per year for 10 years will avoid an estimated 41,748 metric tons of CO2 avoided per year. The energy will come from the Lorca Solar Project in Spain, expected to be operational by early 2026. (Feb 2025)

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Climate and Communities Investment Coalition (CCIC) — Launched by Acadia Infrastructure Capital, the CCIC aims to help corporations support clean energy projects that provide community benefits in the U.S.  (such as local hiring and clean energy at reduced prices for lower-income households). The CCIC is projected to facilitate the construction of over 5 GW of renewable energy projects over five years. CEF Member Microsoft is an anchor member of the coalition.  (Dec 2024)

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Climate Group’s 24/7 Carbon-Free Coalition   — This new pilot campaign  will work to show the benefits of adopting 24/7 carbon-free electricity to local grids to match corporate electricity usage with verifiable carbon-free sources on an hourly basis. Founded by six partner companies, including CEF Member Google,  the companies will help shape the pilot ahead of the campaign’s wider rollout in 2025. (Sept 2024)

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Responsible Renewables Infrastructure Coalition — This global coalition, consisting of industry and environmental organizations, aims to accelerate renewable energy infrastructure in a way that benefits communities and nature.  It will work to build global consensus around a unified approach to measuring the impact of renewable power infrastructure on people and nature; drive corporate commitment towards adopting responsible infrastructure development practices; and support governments in designing actionable processes and standards. (Oct 2024)

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DUKE ENERGY — Along with Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Nucor, Duke announced agreements to develop new power contract terms with electric utilities in North and South Carolina to lower the cost of and advance the building of carbon-free technologies such as nuclear technologies and batteries. Duke and the technology companies propose developing new electricity tariffs that would enable large customers to directly support carbon-free energy generation investments through innovative financing and contributions that address project risk. The new rate structures would facilitate on-site generation at customer facilities, participation in load flexibility programs, and investments in clean energy assets. (June 2024)

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e-NG Coalition — Eight companies have formed a coalition to promote electric natural gas (e-NG),  a synthetic gas produced by combining renewable hydrogen and CO2. The Coalition will be a global platform to raise e-NG awareness, promote its use and trade, foster policy support, and bolster collaboration across the value chain.  (March 2024)

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Advanced Clean Electricity RFI — Google, Microsoft, and Nucor announced an effort to work together to develop new business models and aggregate their demand for advanced clean electricity technologies.  They aim to accelerate development of first-of-a-kind or early commercial projects, such as advanced nuclear, next generation geothermal, and clean hydrogen. Their first step is issuing a request for information   (RFI) in the U.S. for potential projects. There will be informational sessions on the RFI on 26 March at 2pm ET and 3 April at 3pm ET.  (March 2024)

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Network to Mobilize Clean Energy Investment for the Global South   — Over 20 ministers and CEOs joined this new World Economic Forum network, which will provide a collaborative space for its members to accelerate clean energy capital flows in emerging market contexts. It will explore innovative policies, new business models, de-risking tools and finance mechanisms, and exchange best practices for increasing clean energy capital. The Network also launched a Colombia-focused working group to accelerate investment for Colombia’s energy transition and aims to facilitate “energy finance and investment at the local level.” (Jan 2024)

The Granular Certificate Trading Alliance   — This collaboration, led by LevelTen Energy, is developing a first-of-its-kind trading and management platform for “granular certificates” (GCs),  a type of energy attribute certificate that verifies the time and location that carbon-free energy (CFE) is generated. The effort will include both a Trading Platform to connect CFE buyers and sellers and a Management Platform to manage GCs before and after trades. Alliance members, including AES, Constellation, and CEF Members Google and Microsoft, intend to be among the first group of users when the solution launches. (Jan 2024)

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Fusion Task Force— The Sustainable Markets Initiative launched the Fusion Task Force,  which   will engage private sector companies to tackle the barriers to market adoption of fusion energy by 2030, including producing market signals to increase commercialization and scaling the fusion value chain. (Dec 2023)

Clean Energy Procurement Academy   — This project aims to equip companies with the technical readiness to explore and adopt clean energy.  The Academy will combine online and in-person training and educational resources to help accelerate the integration of clean energy into global supply chains (for example, how to boost supply chain companies’ capacity to invest in renewables). This project was initiated through the Clean Energy Buyers Institute and with support from Google.org, and is co-founded by CEF Members by Amazon, Apple, Meta, PepsiCo, and REI; and by Nike.  (Oct 2023)

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The Transatlantic Clean Hydrogen Trade Coalition (H2TC)   — This coalition aims to encourage and enable the first shipment of clean hydrogen from the U.S. to Europe by 2026.  H2TC will focus on supporting first movers in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Northwestern Europe, with the goal of facilitating trade of more than 3 million metric tons per year of hydrogen in the form of ammonia and methanol through this corridor by 2030. The coalition, consisting of Mission Possible Partnership, RMI, Systemiq, Power2X, and industry partners, is building its membership and has so far been endorsed by over 20 companies, including CEF member NextEra Energy Resources. (October 2023)

Solar developers, conservation and environmental groups, agricultural organizations, and tribal entities announced their agreement to advance large-scale U.S. solar development while championing land conservation and supporting local community interests. Resulting from a 20-month long “Solar Uncommon Dialogue,” this agreement commits signatories to improving large-scale solar development based on reducing carbon emissions, minimizing impacts on natural and working lands, and equitably distributing renewable energy project benefits (climate, conservation, and community). Signatories are now convening  six working groups to address issues including siting, community engagement, technologies, information tools, tribal nations, and policy.  (October 2023)

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ZEROgrid Initiative — Several companies, including CEF members General Motors, Meta, and Salesforce, are joining RMI to launch the Zero-Emissions | Reliability Optimized Grid Initiative (ZEROgrid), a comprehensive roadmap to accelerate the transition to a zero-emissions grid.  ZEROgrid will start by building a holistic framework defining targeted metrics for engagement and impact informed by reliability and emission experts. It then aims to maximize grid reliability and emissions reductions through enabling sustained, high-impact corporate action across clean energy procurement, policy, investment, R&D, and operations. (July 2023)

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Catalyze   — CEF member Schneider Electric, along with Intel and Applied Materials, launched Catalyze, a new collaboration to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy across the global semiconductor value chain.  The companies will encourage the industry’s thousands of suppliers to join the Catalyze program and decarbonize. Specifically, Catalyze aims to combine energy purchasing power to accelerate deployment; facilitate utility-scale power purchase agreements; increase awareness; and support and educate suppliers in decarbonization efforts. (July 2023)

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Virtual Power Plant Partnership (VP3) — This RMI initiative is working to catalyze industry and transform policy to support scaling virtual power plants (VPPs) in ways that help advance affordable, reliable electric sector decarbonization by overcoming barriers to VPP market growth.  VPPs are grid-integrated aggregations of many distributed energy resources, such as EVs, solar PV arrays, battery energy storage systems, and smart thermostats, and can help support cost-effective energy production, emissions reductions, and a more resilient energy grid. VP3 will work to research and communicate VPP benefits, develop industry-wide best practices, standards, and roadmaps, and inform and shape policy development. VP3 founding members include CEF members: Ford, General Motors, and Google Nest (Google).  (Jan 2023)

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Global Renewables Alliance   — Global industry organizations representing the wind, solar, hydropower, green hydrogen, long-duration energy storage and geothermal energy industries signed an MOU at COP27 to form the Global Renewables Alliance.  The alliance is being formed in order to ensure an accelerated energy transition, that targets are met, and that vital coordination and planning takes place. It also aims to position renewable energy as a pillar of sustainable development and economic growth, particularly in the global south. To accelerate this transition, the alliance will pursue collective efforts on advocacy, education, market intelligence and data, and engagement with international energy, economic, and environmental institutions.  (Nov 2022)

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Asia Clean Energy Coalition (ACEC)   — ACEC aims to drive corporate clean energy procurement in Asia, accelerating its overall demand and supply.  ACEC will strategically improve the policy and regulatory environments for clean energy, in both national and regional Asian markets. The coalition seeks to align the world’s leading clean energy buyers, project developers and financiers, to help policymakers, utilities and energy regulators innovate and deploy cost effective clean technologies across the Asia-Pacific region. Founding members include CEF members Amazon, Apple, Cisco, Google, Meta, and Samsung.  (Nov 2022)

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Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative   (NHI) — A new coalition of 47 companies, NGOs, government agencies, and an academic institution working to produce hydrogen using nuclear energy. NHI’s goal is to “facilitate the development of nuclear hydrogen demonstration projects,” spark financial investment and commercial partnerships, “and advocate for policies that support nuclear hydrogen deployment.” (Aug 2022)

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US Solar Buyer Consortium ("the Consortium") has committed to purchase more than $6 billion of US-made solar panels to catalyze the growth of the US solar supply chain and the broader US solar industry. The Consortium, a partnership comprised of global energy company AES Corporation and US solar companies Clearway Energy Group, Cypress Creek Renewables, and D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI), is looking for US manufacturers that can supply quantities of solar modules capable of producing up to 7 gigawatts (GW) per year starting in 2024. AES currently has a solar development pipeline of about 40 GW, with 3.4 GW already in backlog. The Consortium's announcement is in alignment with the Biden administration's stated commitment to strengthen America's energy security by reducing its reliance on foreign supply chains. (June 2022)

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“Building the Clean Hydrogen Economy” consortium —  Consulting firm Guidehouse is leading a new consortium of over 20 organizations to launch scalable pilot projects that use clean hydrogen to reduce US energy sector emissions, decarbonize heavy transport, and increase renewables integration. Consortium members, which include CEF member Bank of America, will build private-sector partnerships “and gain commitments for engagement.” Pilots will first be pursued in the southwestern U.S., New York, and the Gulf Coast “to drive an adequate, cost-competitive supply by 2025-2030.” (March 2022)

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List of Clean Energy Collaborations, 2021-2019 (PDF)

Collaboration Initiatives

Several important NGO-private sector collaborative initiatives have formed to identify and tackle key barriers. Notably, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), World Resources Institute (WRI), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Climate Group, and CDP are working to promote collaboration and complementarity among their respective efforts.

Corporate Renewable Energy Buyer’s Principles (WWF/WRI)

The Renewable Energy Buyer’s Principles, in partnership with participating companies, was created to frame the challenges most commonly encountered in corporate renewable energy purchasing. The initiative outlines 6 principles that tell the market what corporates need to increase their access to and use of renewable energy. To implement the Buyers’ Principles, WWF and WRI are working to collaboratively expand renewable energy purchasing options with regulated utilities, where corporate options are most limited. As of publishing, 62 major companies demanding over 45 million megawatt hours of renewable energy to meet their 2020 goals have signed the Buyer’ Principles.   Click here for a list of participating companies.

Business Renewables Center (RMI)

The Business Renewables Center (BRC) was created to accelerate and simplify the adoption of offsite corporate renewable energy purchasing. The BRC’s goal is to help corporations procure 60 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030 by providing: (1) a communications platform to raise awareness and champion successes and opportunities; (2) a community of leading thinkers and industry practitioners, who actively participate in identifying hurdles and solutions to market growth; and (3) a knowledge base of known obstacles and proven solutions, and software tools to facilitate transactions.   Click here for a list of participating companies.

Future of Internet Power (BSR)

The Future of Internet Power initiative is comprised of technology companies that are interested in advancing low-carbon, sustainable power for data centers. The initiative enables businesses to share best practices, collaborate with select utilities and policymakers, and develop a platform that drives growth in the renewable energy sector.   Click here for a list of participating companies.

Renewable Energy Buyers’ Alliance (BSR, RMI, WRI and WWF)

REBA is led by four non-profit organizations (BSR, RMI, WRI and WWF) to integrate the three initiatives described above. These NGOs bring together their deep expertise in transforming energy markets to work across customers, suppliers, and policymakers to identify barriers to buying clean and renewable energy and then develop solutions that meet rapidly growing corporate demand. Collectively the four REBA partners work with more than 60 iconic, multinational companies that represent enormous demand for renewable power. REBA also coordinates with the RE100 campaign, supporting companies who have signed onto their 100% renewable energy commitment. REBA’s goal is to help corporations purchase 60GW of additional renewable energy in the US by 2025.

RE100 Initiative (The Climate Group with CDP)

The RE100 initiative was created to encourage at least 100 major companies to commit to 100% renewable energy by 2020. The initiative supports companies by helping to identify best practices for RE implementation, financial implications associated with transitions, and risks and rewards of options. Click here for a list of participating companies. 

EPA’s Green Power Partnership Initiative (EPA)

The EPA Green Power Partnership is a platform that provides expert advice, tools, and resources for organizations seeking to diversify their energy mix with ‘green’ power products such as renewable energy credits, green pricing programs, and on-site generation. Click here for a list of participating companies.