Work Area
Energy Access
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States Hold the Key to Industrial Innovation
Introduction: Why Industry Matters and the Role of States The United States’ industrial base is a cornerstone of its economy, employing more than 12 million workers and generating hundreds of billions in payroll. However, industry is also a leading source of pollution, responsible for nearly a quarter of the national…
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The State Industrial Policy Playbook – A Policy Guide for Low-Emission Heavy Industry
Executive Summary The industrial sector is a cornerstone of the U.S. economy, employing over 12 million workers and generating $851 billion in annual payroll, but it is also responsible for approximately 12 percent of harmful air pollutants and 23 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While decades of deindustrialization have…
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Systemic bankability is the key to unlocking energy transition speed and scale
Executive Summary The pace of commercialization for emerging clean energy and industrial decarbonization technologies is insufficient to achieve ambitious climate goals. This is in part due to investment barriers and “chicken-and-egg” challenges that are largely unaddressed by existing analyses and policy frameworks. These challenges are especially acute for technologies characterized…
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Africa’s energy future in a post-aid world
The world of global development has experienced seismic shifts in recent times. Several of Africa’s key bilateral funders — the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden— have all announced significant cuts to development spending to make room for their own national priorities. These recent trends further deepen what had already been a steady decline in…
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Why Context, Not Blueprints, Determines the Success of African Utilities
Reforms in Africa’s electricity sector are by no means new. Many African nations have introduced “a series of policy, regulatory, and institutional changes aimed at improving the performance, efficiency, transparency, and financial viability of the electricity sector” since the 1990s but with uneven outcomes. Although some African countries such as…
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Early net-zero action in Africa brings big climate gains—and development challenges, CATF finds
New research from Clean Air Task Force (CATF) explores how different timelines for achieving net-zero emissions could shape Africa’s energy, land, water, and development future. The study, Exploring Net-Zero Emissions Pathways for Africa Across Different Timelines, uses the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM) to examine how various levels of climate…
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Exploring Net-Zero Emissions Pathways for Africa Across Different Timelines: An Integrated Assessment Modeling
Executive Summary Africa stands at a pivotal moment in the global pursuit of net-zero emissions. Although the continent has historically contributed the least to climate change, it is increasingly under pressure to align with international climate net-zero emissions goal, all while facing surging energy demand, infrastructure deficits, and complex development…
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Unlocking Clean Energy Abundance in the West: Five Pragmatic Policy Recommendations for Western Governors
Energy demand growth in the American West is rising faster than any other region in the U.S., driven by electrification, industrial reshoring, and the rise of AI data centers. Western states have large clean energy resource potential that remains untapped due to outdated policies, but Western governors are uniquely positioned to lead a new era of energy policy modernization. CATF offers…
