Joint statement: Renewables Action Plan to break the energy crises cycle

The statement is endorsed by GRA’s six member associations representing the global renewable energy industry:  Green Hydrogen Organisation, Global Wind Energy Council, Global Solar Council, International Hydropower Association, Long Duration Energy Storage Council and International Geothermal Association.

The alliance warns that the latest crisis in the Middle East once again exposes the fragility of a fossil fuel dependent global energy system, urging governments to “treat the oil and gas price shocks reverberating through the world economy as a pivotal turning point and urgently accelerate the transition to renewable energy.”

Renewable energy is the fastest and most cost competitive solution to long-term energy security, resilience and prosperity. Fast-tracking the deployment of wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and storage projects will protect countries from price volatility and energy market failure and enable the scale-up of green hydrogen to decarbonise heavy industry and global transport.

Bruce Douglas, CEO of GRA said:

"Energy crises keep recurring because the global energy system remains stuck in the past."

"The fastest and cheapest way to protect economies and households from price shocks is to accelerate the deployment of renewables, energy efficiency and storage, strengthen grids and electrify end use sectors."

The Renewables Action Plan identifies five priority actions for governments to break the cycle of energy crises: fast track permitting, remove grid and storage bottlenecks, mobilise financing, accelerate electrification, and scale renewable supply chains.

1. Fast-track emergency permitting: Accelerate regulatory approvals by urgently streamlining permitting and consenting procedures for renewables and short- and long-duration storage projects to deliver a major expansion of capacity within the next 36 months. 

2. Address grid and storage blockers: Expand, modernise and optimise electricity grids and storage systems to integrate new renewable capacity, provide reliability and maximise consumer access to low-cost renewables. Significantly shorten lengthy grid connection queues and accelerate grid access by guaranteeing priority dispatch for renewables. 

3. Mobilise financing now: Unlock and de-risk public and private investment for renewable energy and storage projects and associated infrastructure, by introducing preferential interest rates and financing, decreasing financial institution lending limits, creating renewable lending windows, and redirecting capital away from carbon intensive industries. 
    
4. Move swiftly to electrification: Introduce and implement national strategies to accelerate end-use electrification and system integration across transport, heating and industry, supported by flexibility markets, demand response and short- and long-duration energy storage. For sectors which cannot be electrified directly with renewables, green hydrogen is the solution. 

5. Scale up supply chains: Develop robust industrial strategies for supply chain development with clear milestones to expand renewable, grid and storage deployment and stockpiling. Create clear demand signals and offtake frameworks, increase pipeline visibility, and generate long-term revenue certainty, to promote necessary investments in critical manufacturing and labour force capacity.  

Energy crises have repeatedly exposed the vulnerability of fossil fuel dependent energy systems, from the oil shocks of the 1970s to the gas crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the current tensions in the Middle East. Accelerating the deployment of domestic renewable energy alongside grids and storage can reduce exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets while strengthening economic resilience and energy security.