Clean Power Pathways

100% Clean Electricity by 2035 Study

An NREL study shows there are multiple pathways to 100% clean electricity by 2035 that would produce significant benefits exceeding the additional power system costs.

The exact technology mix and costs will be determined by research and development, among other factors, over the next decade. Scenario Approach To examine what it would take to achieve a net-zero U.S. power grid by 2035, NREL leveraged decades of research on high-renewable power systems, from the Renewable Electricity Futures Study, to the Storage Futures Study, to the Los Angeles 100% Renewable Energy Study, to the Electrification Futures Study, and more. Key Findings Technology Deployment Must Rapidly Scale Up

In all modeled scenarios, new clean energy technologies are deployed at an unprecedented scale and rate to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2035. As modeled, wind and solar energy provide 60%–80% of generation in the least-cost electricity mix in 2035, and the overall generation capacity grows to roughly three times the 2020 level by 2035—including a combined 2 terawatts of wind and solar.

Seasonal storage becomes important when clean electricity makes up about 80%–95% of generation and there is a multiday to seasonal mismatch of variable renewable supply and demand. Across the scenarios, seasonal capacity in 2035 ranges about 100–680 gigawatts.

Significant additional research is needed to understand the manufacturing and supply chain associated with the unprecedent deployment envisioned in the scenarios.

“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something is worth doing no matter how it turns out.” — Václav Havel

On The Path to 100% Clean Electricity

Introduction to 100% Clean Electricity

Clean electricity is a cornerstone of broader decarbonization

Rapid decarbonzation of the power sector is a critical strategy for meeting the nation’s climate goals of reducing economy-wide greenhouse gases by 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030, on the way to net-zero economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by no later than 2050. Power-sector decarbonization is especially important because efficient electrification, when paired with clean electricity, can decarbonize large parts of the transportation, buildings, and industrial sectors. Recognizing the key role of the power sector in overall decarbonization and other key benefits, the United States has set a goal of 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035.

“We don’t have to wait for anything at all. What we have to do is start.” — Octavia Butler

The U.S. power sector has made significant progress over the last 15 years in reducing carbon emissions, driven by technological change, state and federal policy, and other factors —with clean electricity already contributing more than 40% of America’s power generation. Today, with low-cost clean power supply options broadly available and the country confronting both a climate crisis and energy security concerns, we have the ability and motivation to rapidly accelerate clean power deployment.

This report identifies ten key all-of-society actions needed to move toward 100% clean electricity and realize the benefits of a fully decarbonized power system.

U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Policy.