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  • Clean Energy Portfolios

Clean Energy Portfolios

Many see gas as a “bridge” to a clean energy future—with investors and utilities planning to build new plants and pipelines across the United States. RMI research has consistently shown that “clean energy portfolios” (CEPs)—comprising wind, solar, battery storage, energy efficiency, and demand flexibility—are now cost-competitive with new natural gas power plants, while providing the same grid reliability services.

This collection of resources represents RMI’s collective research on this topic—from a first-of-its-kind analysis of the opportunity for clean energy to avoid every gas plant proposed in the United States in 2019, to tracking the momentum and real-world case studies that demonstrate the case for CEPs to avoid proposed gas plants today.

Reports

Headwinds for US Gas Power

The economic, health, and jobs impacts of CEPs compared with every proposed US gas plant in 2021
How To Build Clean Energy Portfolios

A practical guide to next-generation, all-source procurement practices
Prospects for Gas Pipelines in the Era of Clean Energy

The impact of avoiding new gas plants on pipeline economics
The Growing Market for Clean Energy Portfolios

The economics of CEPs compared with every proposed US gas plant in 2019
The Economics of Clean Energy Portfolios

The opportunity to avoid proposed US gas plants in four regions with CEPs

Articles

Article

The Business Case for New Gas Is Shrinking

Taking full advantage of the tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, can make clean, renewable energy cheaper than 99 percent of proposed gas plants.

Article

The Hidden Health Costs of Gas-Fired Power Plants

Implementing clean energy portfolios instead of proposed gas plants can avoid $23–$74 billion in health impacts while lowering energy bills.

Article

The Hidden Costs of Keeping Gas Plants Online in Texas and Beyond

As Texas braces for another cold snap, it's certain that the power grid that failed Texans last year—leading to hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in economic damage—will be tested again.

Article, Reality Check

Reality Check: US Renewable Energy Portfolios Can Outcompete New Gas Plants

Currently available renewable energy technologies are often cheaper than gas.

Article

Report Release: Headwinds for US Gas Power

Amid the ongoing volatility in natural gas prices, and the continued trend of falling prices for renewable energy and storage technologies, numerous gas power projects have been canceled before commencing construction.

Article

Grading Your Utility’s Shopping Habits

A recent RMI report highlights the necessity of modernizing the way utilities procure these resources to ensure this money is spent wisely, in a way that meets grid needs while supporting rapid decarbonization of the power sector and other societal objectives.

Article

Transforming the US Power Sector in the Decisive Decade

2019 capped a decade characterized by the decline of coal and the rise of natural gas and renewables, reducing emissions and dramatically reshaping the generation mix that powers an increasingly digital economy.

Article

Clean Energy Is Canceling Gas Plants

While COVID-19 has disrupted many aspects of the economy and daily life in 2020, the trend toward clean electricity is still going strong.

Article

The Climate Opportunity of Clean Energy Portfolios

As global climate leaders gather in New York City this week, the scope and scale of the challenge in meeting international climate targets has never been clearer.

Article

A Bridge Backward? The Risky Economics of New Natural Gas Infrastructure in the United States

Over the past two decades, natural gas has dramatically reshaped the US electricity industry.

Article

Saving Colorado Customers Money with Clean Energy

Xcel Energy’s Colorado Energy Plan, which will be considered by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission this month, has made national news.
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