System-level impacts of 24/7 carbon-free electricity procurement in Europe

Traditional power purchase agreements for renewable energy have seen rapid growth in recent years, but they only match supply and demand on average over a longer period such as a year. There is increasing interest from leaders in voluntary clean electricity procurement to cover their consumption with clean energy supply on truly 24/7 basis. Achieving 24/7 carbon-free energy means that every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumption is met with carbon-free electricity sources, every hour of every day.

In this study, we investigate both the means and costs of pursuing different clean electricity procurement strategies for companies in a selection of European countries. We also explore how the 24/7 clean energy procurement affects the rest of the European electricity system.

The study was supported by a grant from Google Inc.

If you intend to reference this study or use the underlying public code for your research, we would appreciate it if you would cite the following paper: 

Riepin, Iegor, and Tom Brown. “On the Means, Costs, and System-Level Impacts of 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Procurement.” Energy Strategy Reviews 54 (July 1, 2024): 101488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2024.101488.