Zeroing in on Steel Sector Emissions for Market Transformation

The advent of clean steel means greater scrutiny of iron, steel’s key building block. Standalone iron production (in the form of Hot Briquetted Iron which is already globally traded) is projected to increase amidst rising potential for green iron exports, as well as growing appetite from electric arc furnaces (mini-mills) and end-use customers further downstream who are looking to directly support high-impact interventions in the steel supply chain.

For a cleaner iron market to scale, a high-ambition iron-level emissions threshold will be critical in guiding investment, trade, and purchasing toward deeply decarbonized ironmaking solutions.

Existing buyer ambition and high-quality production …

Risk Assessment of Transmission Lines Against Grid-Ignited Wildfires

Wildfires ignited by the power lines have become increasingly common over the past decade. Enhancing the operational and financial resilience of power grids against wildfires involves a multifaceted approach. Key proactive measures include meticulous vegetation management, strategic grid hardening such as infrastructure undergrounding, preemptive de-energization, and disaster risk financing, among others. Each measure should be tailored to prioritize efforts in mitigating the consequences of wildfires. This paper proposes a transmission line risk assessment method for grid-ignited wildfires, identifying the transmission lines that could potentially lead to damage to the natural and built environment and to other transmission lines if igniting …

Equitable Resilience: Opportunities to Advance Solar Paired with Battery Storage in Historically Marginalized Communities

The number of solar and battery storage installations nationwide is increasing year-over-year. Yet, these technologies remain largely inaccessible to historically marginalized communities, including low-income communities, communities of color, and environmental justice communities. As power outages continue to increase in occurrence and severity – due, primarily, to more extreme weather events and the failure of outdated fossil-fuel polluting energy infrastructure – the economic, reliability, and resilience benefits of battery storage will be more important than ever.  

This report by Clean Energy Group (CEG) presents findings resulting from the Resilience, Storage and Grid Benefits Community of Practice, an effort through the Equitable …

Grid Flexibility Study

Resurgent electricity consumption growth challenges grid reliability according to NEMA-PA Consulting Grid Flexibility study:
– The electroindustry is at the forefront of a nationwide drive to improve the reliability and resilience of the power grid ahead of growing power demand from data centers, e-mobility, building electrification, and manufacturing reshoring
– After two decades of stagnant power demand growth and scant transmission and distribution additions, power gap risks are expected to rise during peak demand events

Reliability risks are rising:
– Demand growth is likely to increase twice as rapidly over the next 25 years compared to the last quarter century, …

Identifying Risks in the Energy Industrial Base: Supply Chain Readiness Levels

The U.S. energy system is entering a period of substantial transformation. Following extended periods of low or no demand growth for electricity, driven by both efficiency increases and a decline in domestic manufacturing, the U.S. is reentering a period of rising electricity demand. Artificial intelligence and data center expansion, reshoring of manufacturing, and the electrification of transportation and industrial processes are all contributing to expected load growth. For example, U.S. data center load growth is projected to double or triple in the next few years, rising from 176 TWh in 2023 to 325-580 TWh in 2028. As a result, overall …

Wind Turbine Recycling Assessment Report: A Guide to Sustainable Recycling Industry

The primary goal of this report—which is part one of two—is to communicate findings from this assessment on how alternate materials, designs, and manufacturing processes could enable more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible disassembly and resource recovery from wind energy technologies. Part 1 (this report) establishes a baseline by assessing existing U.S. recycling infrastructure and determining whether the U.S. economy has the necessary technologies to disassemble and recycle major wind energy system components under a plausible high-deployment wind technology scenario. Part 2 (forthcoming) provides a deep-dive assessment of recovering materials from difficult-to-recycle system components, such as blades and rare earth …

Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Integration Framework: Regulatory Innovation for DER Compensation and Cost Allocation

Existing regulatory approaches to DER lack the precision and granularity necessary to ensure that DER can continue to scale in a cost-effective manner that is aligned with the public interest. To address this need, with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, Berkeley Lab and Current Energy Group developed an illustrative regulatory framework. By adopting a technology-neutral and modular approach, the framework enables flexibility and scalability for DER providers, utilities, and regulators. Clear price signals and incentives encourage the provision of valuable grid services, while equitable cost allocation promotes efficient use of distribution capacity and interconnection …

Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Clean Hydrogen 2024 Update

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published a series of Liftoff Reports—living documents that serve as a shared fact base on the development, deployment, and commercialization of clean energy technologies, like clean hydrogen. The Liftoff Reports build upon deep industry and community engagement, learnings from DOE investments and initiatives, and input from other public sector organizations. They analyze both challenges and opportunities in the acceleration of our energy transition in an effort to align and catalyze action.

In March 2023, the DOE published its first Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Clean Hydrogen Report. DOE reported that clean hydrogen can reduce …

Offshore Wind Energy Guide

The advantages of offshore wind extend far beyond it being a clean energy resource. Coastline states and communities are home to a significant portion of the population; about 81% of the U.S. population lives in states adjacent to the coast (including the Great Lakes), and 40% of the U.S. population lives in coastline counties (i.e., counties adjacent to the ocean or the Great Lakes). Furthermore, a significant amount of electricity demand—nearly 80%—comes from coastal areas and the Great Lakes. Offshore wind energy projects have the potential to serve those communities by generating reliable, clean electricity.

Additionally, offshore wind resources are …

Distributed Energy, Utility Scale: 30 Proven Strategies to Increase VPP Enrollment

After decades of low or declining growth in electricity demand, the U.S. now faces a significant near-term need for new generation capacity and transmission and distribution infrastructure. Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) can meet a large portion of the gap between electricity supply and growing demand, but only if deployed at an increased scale. This study provides 30 proven strategies for scaling VPPs through increased enrollment based on in-depth interviews with utilities and VPP solutions providers that have achieved considerable scale or rapid growth in program deployment. The study includes specific actions for regulators, utilities, and VPP solutions providers to increase …