Clean Energy Transition

Wind and solar generation is scaling faster than any other electricity sources in history. This chart looks at the time taken for different technologies to grow from 100 TWh to 1,000 TWh of annual electricity generation. ✅ Solar took just 8 years ✅ Wind took 12 years ✅ By comparison, gas took 28 years, coal 32 years and hydro 39 years Nuclear also reached the milestone in 12 years, but then its growth slowed sooner than wind. Importantly, this chart is not measuring market share. It is measuring how quickly different technologies scaled once they reached meaningful levels of deployment. And the story today is also bigger than generation alone. Batteries are increasingly extending solar generation into the evening peak, while electrification is creating new demand for clean electricity in transport, heating and industry. Much of this growth is being driven by improving economics, with wind, solar and batteries becoming increasingly competitive across a growing range of applications. That combination is beginning to reshape energy systems around the world. Renewables now generate more than one third of global electricity, and wind and solar continue to account for the majority of new power capacity added each year. The pace of deployment matters because energy transitions are ultimately about scale. And by that measure, wind and solar are growing faster than anything that came before them.

NEW ANALYSIS: Electric vehicles are entering the mid-transition space starting to replace ICE vehicles in more and more markets. The transition is already underway. Global EV numbers have grown from 1.2 million in 2015 to nearly 60 million today. History shows that shifts like this can happen faster than expected: in the early 20th-century US, horses and mules virtually vanished from roads in under 30 years. As with the rise of the car, today’s transition is shaped as much by policy and politics as by technology. ICE vehicles didn’t dominate through technical superiority alone—they were supported by massive public investment in roads, urban design, and highways funded by fuel taxes. EVs are well placed to move even faster. They directly replace ICE vehicles while being cleaner, cheaper, and quieter to operate. And past transitions suggest that like-for-like replacements—think black-and-white to colour TV—tend to spread far more quickly than entirely new products. Our new report by the Centre for Net Zero (Octopus Energy Group)'s excellent Andy Hackett, Izzy Woolgar, RMI's Yuki Numata and Laurens Speelman and me at Environmental Change Institute (ECI), University of Oxford describe how EVs are posed to enter a next phase in it's adoption curve. This is the phase of 'system integration', where integration of EVs into the broader energy and transport system (think vehicle to grid, flexible charging, widespread and equitable charging, battery recycling) becomes more and more important, alongside reducing costs, intense competition, increasing quality and efficiency, and increasing supporting technologies. This new phase represents new opportunities and new challenges both for policy makers and business which we unpack in this report. You can read the report here: https://lnkd.in/eRNdpMj6

The future of batteries may not need lithium. ⚡🧂 For years, lithium has powered the clean energy revolution. Electric vehicles. Home batteries. Grid storage. But lithium isn't the only path forward. Researchers are now exploring battery chemistries built from materials as common as salt and oxygen from the air. Why does that matter? Because today's lithium batteries come with real challenges: ⛏️ Intensive mining 🌍 Concentrated global supply chains 💰 Rising costs 🔋 Performance that gradually degrades over time Salt-based battery technologies aim to tackle many of those issues. Potential advantages include: 🧂 Abundant, widely available materials 🔥 Improved safety ⏳ Longer operational lifetimes ⚡ Lower costs for large-scale energy storage The biggest opportunity isn't necessarily replacing lithium in electric cars. It's storing renewable electricity on the grid. Solar and wind need affordable storage to deliver power when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing. If these next-generation batteries can scale commercially, they could reduce dependence on critical minerals while making clean energy more resilient and accessible. The next breakthrough may not come from digging deeper. It may come from using materials we've had all along. 📌PS: Found this helpful? Join 19,000+ founders and investors leveling up their game to fix this climate mess. 👉 Subscribe to my newsletter and get actionable insights delivered weekly! 🌍🚀 https://lnkd.in/ektv3C_s #BatteryTechnology #EnergyStorage #CleanEnergy #ClimateTech #RenewableEnergy #Innovation #FutureEnergy

The European Central Bank is now making the economic case for decarbonisation. Not as climate policy. As monetary policy. Frank Elderson, ECB board member, argues in the Financial Times that Europe's dependence on imported fossil fuels is a structural threat to price stability (👉 https://lnkd.in/eKWWjKbh). The data is damning: energy price shocks pushed euro area inflation to 10.6% in October 2022. Every geopolitical tremor in the Middle East shows up in European energy bills. And the ECB is caught in an impossible bind: tighten to fight inflation and deepen the slowdown, ease to support growth and entrench inflation. The solution is not better forecasting models or finetuned monetary policy. It is cheaper energy. Spain shows what is possible. Wholesale electricity prices in early 2024 were approximately 40% lower than they would have been had wind and solar generation remained at 2019 levels ( 👉 https://lnkd.in/edXgxh9q). Once the infrastructure is built, the energy itself is virtually free. Volatile global commodity markets simply become less relevant. Elderson is explicit: €660 billion per year in clean energy investment sounds large. But Europe already spends nearly €400 billion annually on fossil fuel imports, money that leaves the continent and buys geopolitical vulnerability. Analysis in the UK shows that for every pound invested in sustainable energy, benefits outweigh costs by a factor of 2.2 to 4.1 ( 👉 https://lnkd.in/emEXVfiw). This is precisely what I argued in my piece for Triodos a few weeks ago: Europe's crisis response has been backwards. We keep treating energy dependence as a shock to manage rather than a structural problem to fix. (👉https://lnkd.in/ehFqA6iY) The ECB cannot decarbonise Europe. What it can do is name the conditions: keep the ETS, mobilise capital toward renewable capacity, strip out fossil fuel subsidies, and stop confusing cheap fossil fuels with affordable energy. If people need help with energy costs, target it: don't suppress the price signal that drives the transition. The cheapest energy is the energy we no longer have to import.

Tripling renewables & doubling energy efficiency would cut emissions by 10 billion tonnes by 2030 versus the current path, getting the world 2/3 of the way to a Paris-aligned energy system. The International Energy Agency (IEA)’s new report is the first global analysis on putting the COP28 goals into action 👉 https://iea.li/3zkkHl7   Tripling #renewables by 2030 is within reach thanks to favourable economics, manufacturing potential & policies. But unlocking the full economic and emissions benefits can only be achieved if globally we deliver:   ▶ 25 million kilometres of new or modernised grids ▶ 1,500 gigawatts of energy storage   Doubling the rate of energy efficiency progress this decade is also critical & will improve energy security & affordability. Governments worldwide need to make #efficiency a much greater policy priority & focus relentlessly on key actions, which will vary among different economies.   Today's report shows how the COP28 goals can lay the foundation for ambitious new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Pathways will differ by country, but all have a major opportunity to turn the #COP28 goals into action in the next NDC round.   The findings of this new IEA report on implementing the COP28 energy goals will be the focus of our third High-Level Energy Transition Dialogue with COP29 Azerbaijan today, taking place in the context of #UNGA & #ClimateWeekNYC   Read more in the press release ➡️ https://iea.li/3zkkHl7 Explore the analysis in full ➡️ https://iea.li/3zukaNo

Copper, lithium, cobalt, etc… ⚡ Mining is something perceived as VERY far from the concept of clean energy.. But it is a WRONG perception ‼   If there would be to select a one single thing as common to the traditional energy system and the new one, that would be the extraction industry. Because regardless what system we will be eventually able to build, that is going to be fundamentally backed by minerals and natural resources.   Copper is a fundamental component of an economy that is electrifying Lithium so far dominates batteries for electric vehicles and battery storage.   The list of minerals is quite long.   How much of those will be needed varies according to estimates; to the ability of developing alternatives; to the capacity of making the recycling and re-using industry to flourish; etc.. But one thing is certain: the “TIME FACTOR” is crucial.   Because any functionable supply chain cannot tolerate delays and bottlenecks. This is even more true for a nascent system that already has the difficult task to replace something well established and working – in many cases – in an affordable and reliable way.   And developing new mines is – too often – a multi-decade job. Too long!   It is clear that claims to exploit natural resources in a sustainable and careful way is a more than legitimate thing. However, there is one fundamental and overall concept to accept: a clean energy transition is already a quite difficult mission. Making it WITHOUT access to the resources needed, it is mission impossible!   . Chart from Elements on Benchmark Minerals Intelligence Data   #energy #data #future #sustainability #technology #innovation 

A group of small public power utilities in Virginia is doing something deceptively simple—and potentially disruptive: deploying multiple 5 MW, distribution-connected batteries instead of pursuing a traditional transmission upgrade. At first glance, this is just smart economics. Small batteries can be deployed faster, with far less upfront cost, and can charge off-peak and discharge during system peaks. But the bigger story is what this signals about the future of “capacity.” For decades, grid economics have revolved around peak demand. Build enough generation and transmission to meet a handful of critical hours each year, and recover those costs through demand-based constructs like coincident peak pricing. Storage breaks that model. If a utility can shave just a few peak hours, it can avoid a disproportionate share of system costs. Peak demand is no longer something you simply serve—it’s something you can shape. That has real implications: • Capacity value becomes less about static MW and more about flexibility • Pricing models built around a few peak hours become increasingly fragile • Distribution-level solutions begin to substitute for large, centralized infrastructure This doesn’t mean capacity goes away. It means it evolves. Instead of a blunt, peak-hour construct, capacity becomes more granular, more locational, and more time-dependent. Value shifts toward resources that can respond precisely when and where the system is stressed. And yes—storage accelerates all of this. But moves like this in Virginia show where things are heading: Smaller, faster, more flexible assets—deployed closer to load—beginning to reshape both infrastructure planning and market design. The interesting question isn’t whether storage changes the system. It’s how quickly the rules will change in response. https://lnkd.in/ebXaC3PB

Monitoring and reporting of Scope 3 emissions 🌎 Scope 3 emissions represent the largest share of an organization's carbon footprint, encompassing indirect emissions across the value chain. A structured approach to measurement, commitment, transformation, and disclosure ensures comprehensive reporting and alignment with global sustainability standards. Organizations must integrate Scope 3 emissions into their reporting frameworks to enhance transparency and drive meaningful reductions. Accurate measurement is the first step in managing Scope 3 emissions. Methodologies such as the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and ISO 14064 provide guidance on calculating emissions across relevant categories. Reporting standards, including GRI, CDP, and IFRS S2, establish principles for disclosure, ensuring that organizations quantify emissions in a way that is comparable and actionable. Setting a clear baseline allows companies to identify high-impact areas and prioritize reduction efforts. Commitment to science-based targets supports long-term emissions reductions. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) offers frameworks for setting ambitious yet achievable decarbonization goals. Alignment with standards such as CSRD ESRS E1, ISSB, and SASB ensures that Scope 3 targets are integrated into broader corporate sustainability strategies. Effective emissions reduction requires collaboration across the value chain, emphasizing supplier engagement and business model innovation. Transforming business operations is essential to reducing Scope 3 emissions. Companies must optimize supply chains, shift toward low-carbon materials, and explore alternative logistics solutions. Investments in circular economy strategies, renewable energy adoption, and efficiency improvements contribute to emission reductions. Partnerships with suppliers and industry stakeholders strengthen impact and accelerate progress toward decarbonization. Scope 3 emissions are categorized into upstream and downstream activities, capturing emissions beyond direct control. Upstream activities include purchased goods and services, capital goods, fuel and energy-related activities, transportation, business travel, and employee commuting. Downstream activities involve emissions from transportation and distribution, product processing, end-of-life treatment, leased assets, and investments. Each category requires tailored approaches to measurement and mitigation. Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions interact within a company’s sustainability strategy. Scope 1 emissions originate from direct sources such as company facilities and vehicles. Scope 2 emissions result from purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling. Scope 3 emissions extend beyond organizational boundaries and often require coordinated efforts with external partners to influence change across the value chain. Source: Deloitte #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange #scope3 #emissions

A strong European energy system is built on strong industrial partnerships, like the one between Hitachi Energy and TenneT Germany. This week, Ina Kamps and I had an intensive board-to-board exchange with Niklas Persson and his teams at their HVDC centre in Ludvika. What stands out is not only the impressive manufacturing scale, but the depth of expertise that underpins Europe’s energy transition. HVDC technology is at the heart of a climate‑neutral energy system. It enables offshore wind at scale, secures cross-border transmission, and will form the backbone of a future meshed North Sea grid. But pressure is mounting. Delivery timelines, costs and industrial capacity across the entire value chain are becoming a structural bottleneck. Delivering the energy transition is no longer just about building infrastructure — it is about securing the industrial backbone behind it. Global supply chains are under strain. Trade conflicts, geopolitical tensions and growing protectionism are reshaping industrial value chains. Energy infrastructure is directly exposed. This is not a temporary disruption, but a systemic challenge. Without resilient supply chains, there is no security of supply. And without security of supply, there is no political room for action. Therefore we need: • Stronger, long-term partnerships between TSOs and manufacturers — moving from transactional procurement to strategic collaboration. • A competitive European industrial base in power electronics, paired with continuous innovation to sustain global leadership. • A clear European framework: targeted industrial policy, faster permitting and planning certainty that enables long-term investment. Europe has the technology. Europe has the expertise. The decisive question is whether we create the conditions to keep both. #LightingTheWayAheadTogether

Solar is scaling faster than ever. It’s a key driver in reshaping the global energy landscape. The increase in solar capacity is set to more than double over the next five years compared to the previous five-year period, propelled by falling costs, faster permitting processes, and widespread social acceptance.   Meanwhile, onshore and offshore wind capacity will also grow significantly. Overall, global renewable power capacity is expected to double between now and 2030, increasing by 4600 gigawatts. But growth doesn’t come without friction. The latest International Energy Agency (IEA) report also highlights several familiar challenges: grid integration, supply chain vulnerabilities, and regulatory uncertainties. To overcome these challenges, we need stable political frameworks, effective permitting processes across all technologies, and a stronger focus on grid and system flexibility. Now is the time to act decisively — with frameworks that drive investment and with a holistic approach combining renewables, grid infrastructure, storage, and firm capacity, all with cost efficiency at its core. The path is clear. And I’m proud that RWE will continue to play a key role in taking it forward.