The Global and National Energy Systems Techno-Economic (GNESTE) Database: Cost and performance data for electricity generation and storage technologies

Here, we present a database which collates historical, current, and future cost and performance data and assumptions for the six most prominent electricity generation technologies; coal, gas, hydroelectric, nuclear, solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power, which together accounted for over 92% of installed generation capacity in 2022. In addition, we provide the same data for utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), regarded as critical to the integration of variable renewables such as wind and solar PV.

The data are global in scope but with regional and national specificity, covers the years 2015 through to 2050, and span 5510 datapoints from 56 sources. The database enables modellers to select and justify model input data and provides a benchmark for comparing assumptions and projections to other sources across the literature to validate model inputs and outputs. It is designed to be easily updated with new sources of data, ensuring its utility, comprehensiveness, and broad applicability in future.