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2020 Recap: Greening the Grid for All


A look back at how CEBA’s members advanced policy and market evolution to support clean energy.

CEBA’s Innovations team set a transformative goal to green the grid for all by advocating for policies and market structures that dramatically increase the amount of zero-carbon energy delivered to all energy consumers.  

In 2020, two big trends underpinned our efforts: 

  1. Companies willingness to step up and out on energy policy issues, ranging from weighing in on Federal renewable energy incentives to backing a call for organized wholesale markets to expand all regions of the country. 
  1. Leading companies evolving approaches to shift from procuring renewable energy to match their annual consumption, to consuming zero-carbon energy, when and where they use it on the grid. 

Paving the way for CEBA’s long-term policy and markets strategy to elevate the energy buyer voice in policy discussions and advance evolving needs was the release of the Clean Energy Buyers Institute’s (a REBA affiliate) Renewable Energy Policy Pathways Report. The analysis found that ultimately retail choice has the greatest technical potential for increasing access to renewable energy while decreasing costs, but all three pathways analyzed, including utility programs and increased RPS, have vital, complementary roles to play in expanding renewable energy access. Importantly, the analysis determined that participation in organized markets makes any pathway cheaper and more efficient.  

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Source: Data compiled by Clean Energy Buyers Association©

The release of CEBA’s Organized Wholesale Market Principles gained notable traction across the energy market further emphasizing the important role markets will play in accelerating a zero-carbon energy system by equipping key market stakeholders with pathways that support ambitious energy goals.  

While this year was unprecedented due to COVID-19, the pandemic reaffirmed our work and the importance of driving a clean energy economy and recovery. CEBA joined over 30 industry leading companies, many of whom are CEBA members, in submitting a letter urging Congress to include clean energy provisions in a COVID-19 relief and recovery spending package.  

Additionally, the Innovations Team, along with several CEBA members, participated in the MISO transmission planning process, ensuring the buyer voice was present at meetings and conveying to policymakers the market barriers transmission congestion poses to renewable energy access.  

The 2021 policy pendulum will swing in the favor of clean energy, and we have the chance to make dramatic progress on zero-carbon future complementary policies and market evolution. The Innovations team will partner with REBA members to ensure the priorities of energy buyers accelerate are heard and understood by key policymakers and the incoming Administration. Advancing the work to green the grid for all will focus on wholesale marketsutility data harmonization, and action on clean tech innovation and deployment.  


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We’re heading into 2021 with renewed effort for meaningful climate action and we hope you’ll join us.