Sustainable Electricity Systems
To be sustainable, electricity systems must recover operating costs, invest for the future, provide reliable electricity and meet environmental and social objectives.
Renewable electricity generation is an essential part of a sustainable energy future. An increasing number of governments are subsidizing the deployment of renewable energy technologies for electricity generation and the growth of domestic industries. What can be learned from their experiences?
Our experts in renewable energy technologies, energy policy and environmental fiscal reform help government officials and civil society organizations achieve a supportive policy framework for sustainable electricity systems. We do this by conducting research to evaluate the impact of subsidies and electricity sector policies to make the case for reform. Our services include policy design and evaluation, bottom-up analysis of electricity subsidies, evaluation of electricity system externalities, stakeholder consultation, and the organization of seminars and other events.
- Commentary
How Can India’s Energy Sector Recover Sustainably from COVID-19?
From IISD and CEEW, part 1 of a three-part commentary series that takes a deep dive into how India’s energy sector is coping with the impacts of COVID-19 and what this means for the sustainable energy transition.
Read More - Report
Tomorrow Needs Us Today: IISD’s 2020-2025 Strategic Direction
We are guided by five core priorities—Climate, Resources, Economies, Act Together and Engage—which form our CREATE strategy, presented in this document.
Read More - Report
Rethinking Eskom: Lessons from electricity sector reform in India and Mexico
As South Africa debates how to reform its struggling electricity sector, this publication reviews how international experience from India and Mexico could inform the debate.
Read More - Report
Mapping India's Energy Subsidies 2020: Fossil fuels, renewables and electric vehicles
How have India’s energy subsidy policies changed? What have been the most significant developments in India’s dynamic energy policy environment? And is public support aligned with India’s desired energy future?
Read More - Report
Getting to 23 Per Cent: Strategies to scale up renewables in Indonesia
This report addresses seven concrete ways in which the Indonesian government can overcome the existing obstacles and make significant progress to grow renewable energy before 2025.
Read More -
Communications and Awareness Strategies: Raising awareness about the health impacts of coal in Indonesia - Examples from India and China
This brief showcases examples of communications and awareness strategies for air pollution in India and China, with a focus on lessons that can be drawn for Indonesians looking to raise the level of public focus on air pollution issues in Indonesia.
Read More - Briefing Note
India's Energy Transition: The Cost of Meeting Air Pollution Standards in the Coal-fired Electricity Sector
It will cost up to INR 86,135 crore (USD 12 billion) to comply with India's rules for air pollution control technology in the current fleet of coal power plants, increasing the average cost of electricity by 9–21 per cent per kWh. The Ministry of Power must take a strict position to ensure compliance.
Read More - Briefing Note
India's Energy Transition: Subsidies for gasoline, diesel and electric vehicles
India’s subsidies to petrol and diesel between October 2018 and June 2019 amounted to almost three times the three-year government budget for electric vehicle (EV) support, according to our new study.
Read More - Report
Raising Ambition Through Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform: Greenhouse gas emissions results modelling from 26 countries
This working paper models 26 countries and finds national average emission reductions of 6 per cent from the removal of fossil fuel subsidies. For every tonne of CO2e removed through FFSR, governments save an average of USD 93. Global emission reductions from reforms are between 6.4 and 8.2 per cent by 2050. Countries can consider the carbon reduction co-benefits from FFSR and taxation within second-generation Nationally Determined Contributions.
Read More - Report
Fossil Fuel to Clean Energy Subsidy Swaps: How to pay for an energy revolution
A “subsidy swap”—reallocating some of the savings from fossil fuel subsidy reform to fund the clean energy transition—can bring in economic, social and environmental benefits.
Read More