Energy economics articles from across Nature Portfolio

Meeting global temperature targets requires deep mitigation across sectors. Moving away from cost optimality when allocating mitigation by sector, the authors link integrated assessment models and portfolio analysis to identify and balance trade-offs between Sustainable Development Goal indicators.

Monitoring how the energy transition unfolds remains a challenge. This study uses firm-level supply chain data to track decarbonization rates in a national economy, revealing little progress, but also untapped potential to accelerate the transition.

In Australia, the geographic and relaxed temporal requirements for the use of renewable energy certificates could ensure that hydrogen is produced with minimal greenhouse gas emissions and at a low cost, according to an analysis that employs an energy system model and scenario approach

Decarbonizing road transport is critical, but the costs and emissions of low-carbon vehicles in Africa remain uncertain. The authors show that battery electric vehicles with solar off-grid systems can cost effectively reduce life-cycle emissions well before 2040.

Feedback loops shape the pace and direction of the clean energy transition by accelerating or resisting change. Researchers and practitioners can draw on these feedback loops as practical heuristics to understand and manage the transition.

Nuclear power continues to pose economic and practical barriers to expanded deployment, argues M. V. Ramana.

Uniform interregional electricity transfer capability requirements improve reliability of the US grid, but with lower cost and emissions reductions than a cost-optimized, region-specific approach. When designing interregional electricity transmission policy, the need for a reliable grid must be balanced alongside aspirations for a lowest-cost, lowest-emissions one.

Germany’s energy transition relies on variable renewables and electricity use across sectors, and it needs to accelerate. This Comment argues that consistent policy commitments to proven technologies, such as wind and solar power, heat pumps and electric cars are needed.

Reducing the wildfire risk of electric grids requires assessing and comparing various adaptation measures. A study shows that a grid technology innovation cuts the risk more cost-effectively than conventional approaches such as burying power lines.

A majority of US households can reduce energy costs and access affordable backup power during outages through rooftop solar and battery storage. Policymakers need to evaluate and adopt measures to ensure high-outage-risk and energy-burdened communities have equitable access to these adaptation solutions as climate impacts intensify outages.