RMI Launches Global Guide Highlighting New Ways to Speed Up Clean Electricity Transition Ahead of COP27

Denver, CO –  A comprehensive review of the clean electricity transformation underway in 50 countries worldwide shows that a mix of policies, market innovations, technology advances, and financial solutions are succeeding globally to accelerate the energy transition while expanding energy access and promoting sustainable development.

The Global Energy Transformation Guide: Electricity, released by RMI today, is based on interviews with 85 experts across the globe including utilities, regulators, businesses, system operators, customers and academics, in order to understand the drivers of energy innovation around the world. As a result, the Global Guide highlights points of progress, key trends, and success stories from electricity system leaders worldwide. Alongside the reports, RMI, founded as Rocky Mountain Institute, has launched an interactive map highlighting key innovations around the world.

“When it comes to the energy transformation, advanced economies have just as much to learn from emerging markets and developing countries as vice versa.” said report author and RMI Managing Director for Carbon Free Electricity Leia Guccione. “That’s one of the key takeaways from our survey of efforts in over 50 countries to secure universal access to reliable, affordable, and clean electricity. To avert the worst consequences of the climate crisis, we must all learn from emerging successes in order to scale the most critical innovations throughout the global power sector.”

KEY PROJECT SPOTLIGHTS:

Among the key spotlights profiled in the first stage of RMI’s interactive guide include:

• The creation of a new regional electricity market in Africa’s Sahel region
• Innovative strategies to transition away from coal power purchase agreements in Chile
• Ways in which Kenya is leading among developing economies by going all-in on renewable energy
• Updates to the wholesale electricity market in the Philippines enabling a significant increase in pricing and forecasting accuracy, resource efficiency, and market competition
• How Canada and Germany have provided a model for stakeholder-driven approaches to pursue a just transition for fossil fuel communities

Today’s release of the Guide includes the first three reports in a nine-part series. Many more case studies will be spotlighted in the coming months as the rest of RMI’s guide is made public.

“RMI undertook this work because delivering affordable, reliable, and secure access to electricity, while also meeting the world’s climate targets, requires a transformation in the ways electricity is supplied, delivered, and used across the globe.” said RMI CEO Jon Creyts. “No two energy transitions will be the same, because each country has diverse needs, priorities, and resources requiring different trajectories and tailored solutions. However, no one country should have to chart their own path in a silo.”

RMI’s Guide has identified a growing number of points of progress across all continents that can help guide and inspire the work of affordable and equitable decarbonization ahead.

Reporters seeking more information on case studies, as well as community and stakeholder contacts,  please reach out to Adam Beitman at  abeitman@rmi.org.