Bold Action Required to Decarbonize Power Grid According to New Strategic Plan from the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance

The convener of large energy customers unveils multi-year strategy to transform energy markets and global advancement of carbon-free energy

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance, a consortium of two organizations, the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) and the Clean Energy Buyers Institute (CEBI), unveiled a forward-thinking strategic plan to support an ambitious aspiration to achieve a 90% carbon-free U.S. electricity system by 2030 and create a global community of energy customers driving clean energy.

The Clean Energy Buyers Alliance’s strategic plan activates its community of 280+ institutional energy customers – representing $7 trillion in annual revenues and 16 million employees – and their market partners to advance three critical market transformations in collaboration with leading environmental organizations and climate-focused philanthropies:

1. Unlock markets for energy customers to use buying power and market-influence to accelerate electricity decarbonization
2. Catalyze communities of customers to more rapidly deploy clean energy and to do more than they could on their own
3. Decarbonize the grid for all, including those who can’t or won’t participate in markets

“We are in the decisive decade for climate action, and we have a clear-eyed understanding of the challenge,” said Miranda Ballentine, CEO of CEBA and CEBI. “Limiting global warming to 1.5° will require reaching net-zero by 2050. With more than 60% of U.S. electricity consumed by commercial and industrial companies, we know that decarbonization of the electricity system and customer demand for clean energy will play a critical role in achieving a carbon-free future.”

Dedicated stakeholder engagement with energy industry experts and an intensive literature review of analyses by leading institutions during the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance strategic planning process reinforced consensus that the current energy landscape hinders progress toward deep decarbonization. To fully decarbonize the global economy by 2050, the electricity systems must become clean even faster, requiring a three-fold increase in global clean energy investments.

“The Alliance is unique in that energy customers are at the core of our work to lead the transformation of the energy market and drive decarbonization. As we look to the future, CEBA and CEBI are poised to propel the thought leadership and market advocacy needed to solve the toughest policy and market barriers for the benefit of society,” said Marty Pickett, CEBI board chair and managing director, RMI.

Energy customers have demonstrated their influential role in the clean energy transition through announced procurement of more than 47 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy—about 20% of all wind and solar capacity in the U.S.—over the last decade. In 2021 alone, voluntary energy customers contracted for 11.06 GW of clean energy—the equivalent of 40% of all new carbon-free capacity installed that year.

Despite great progress, the U.S. is at risk of falling short of meeting both the market need and demand for clean energy. Only 40% of U.S. power generation comes from carbon-free energy sources as of 2020. The Clean Energy Buyers Alliance acknowledges the time for bold leadership on climate and the clean energy transition is now, and it will require collaboration across the industry.

Read more about how the organization aims to drive transformative change and achieve its vision of customer-driven clean energy for all.

About Clean Energy Buyers Alliance
The Clean Energy Buyers Alliance is a consortium of two organizations, the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), a 501(c)(6) business trade organization, plus the Clean Energy Buyers Institute (CEBI), a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit, whose missions and methods are complementary. The Alliance accelerates decarbonization by activating a community of 280 members—representing $7 trillion in annual revenues and 16 million employees—to advance market and policy solutions. For more information, visit cleanenergybuyers.org.