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Renewables hold key to energy security, but finance and grid gaps persist – EnviroNews
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Renewable energy is increasingly demonstrating its potential to strengthen energy security, expand electricity access, create jobs and attract investment, but inadequate finance, outdated grids and regulatory barriers continue to prevent many projects from moving from potential to reality, according to 350.org and Global Energy Monitor.
Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Global Renewables Summit in New York next week, the organisations brought together frontline experiences from Pakistan, East Africa, the Philippines, Brazil and other regions to highlight both the opportunities presented by renewable energy and the obstacles slowing deployment.
The discussions come as governments confront heightened energy-market volatility and renewed concerns about dependence on imported fossil fuels.
According to Global Energy Monitor (GEM), global operating wind and solar capacity has surpassed three terawatts, while nearly five terawatts are in the pipeline. Utility-scale solar capacity alone has passed two terawatts, with prospective utility-scale solar capacity exceeding 2.2 terawatts.
GEM’s latest data also show that distributed solar accounts for about 42 per cent of operational and prospective solar capacity, highlighting the potential of decentralised energy systems alongside large-scale renewable projects.
The organisation said the centre of gravity of new clean-power development has increasingly shifted towards emerging and developing economies, although grid constraints and uneven investment remain significant barriers to converting project pipelines into operating capacity.
Finance and infrastructure emerge as critical barriers
The organisations said the challenge facing the renewable-energy transition is increasingly less about the availability of renewable resources and more about whether countries can mobilise affordable finance, modernise electricity networks and establish regulatory frameworks that allow projects to be developed.
In particular, outdated transmission and distribution infrastructure can prevent renewable power from reaching consumers even where generation capacity is available.
In East Africa, 350.org’s Rukiya Khamis said governments needed to focus not only on large energy projects but also on distributed solar, hydro and wind systems capable of addressing energy poverty at community level.
She called for investment in transmission and distribution networks, battery storage and regulatory reforms that would enable locally owned clean-energy systems.
“True energy security is not measured by how much energy a country exports. It is measured by whether every household has reliable, affordable, clean power,” Khamis said.
GEM’s analysis similarly points to infrastructure as a central issue in the transition. Its current energy-transition data show that wind and solar capacity is expanding rapidly, while the development of grids and supporting infrastructure remains essential to converting planned capacity into usable electricity.
Pakistan’s solar boom
Pakistan provided one of the examples highlighted during the discussions.
Dr Omais Abdur Rehman of Renewables First said households and businesses in Pakistan had increasingly turned to solar power as electricity costs and energy-security concerns intensified.
He said the country had seen substantial growth in distributed solar and battery storage, with households and businesses driving adoption even as government policy struggled to keep pace.
Rehman called for more flexible grid planning and policies that would enable solar, wind, battery storage and electric vehicles to expand while ensuring that lower-income households are not excluded from the transition.
Africa’s renewable opportunity
The discussions also highlighted Africa’s substantial renewable-energy potential and the economic opportunities associated with developing local and regional electricity systems.
Dean Bhebhe Bhekumuzi of Africa Change Lab West Africa said African countries needed to move beyond simply expanding electricity access and focus on using renewable power to support productive economic activity, industry and regional trade.
He pointed to cross-border transmission infrastructure, integrated power pools and coordinated investment as potential mechanisms for turning Africa’s geographically dispersed renewable resources into a shared economic asset.
The West African Power Pool has nearly 12 GW of utility-scale solar in its development pipeline across 14 countries, according to the information presented by the organisations.
In East Africa, combined operating and prospective solar capacity stands at more than 3 GW.
From local communities to clean industries
The Philippines and Brazil were also presented as examples of how renewable energy can support local development.
Noel Rosal, Governor of Albay in the Philippines, said local governments required easier access to green finance, technology, knowledge and skills to develop community-centred renewable energy projects.
He said Albay had significant untapped renewable resources and was seeking partnerships that could help translate that potential into practical projects benefiting local communities.
In Brazil, Victoria Santos of Clima e Sociedade said the country’s large renewable-energy resource, particularly in the Northeast, could provide a foundation for developing low-carbon industries and creating quality employment.
She cited the Powershoring Forum as an example of efforts to connect renewable electricity with industrial development, investment and local economic opportunities.
Global renewable pipeline continues to expand
GEM’s data indicate that the global renewable-energy pipeline remains substantial. Brazil alone has nearly 114 GW of planned offshore wind capacity, while Pakistan and other countries are experiencing rapid growth in distributed solar.
GEM reported in February 2026 that global prospective utility-scale solar capacity had increased by 17 per cent to more than 2.2 TW. Global operating wind capacity had also exceeded 1.1 TW, with another 2.7 TW in the pipeline.
However, the organisation has cautioned that rapid growth in project pipelines does not automatically translate into operating capacity. Its analysis emphasises the importance of finance, grid infrastructure, policy implementation and other enabling conditions.
Anne Jellema, Executive Director of 350.org, said the global energy-security debate had changed significantly amid recent fossil-fuel market disruptions.
“The fossil-fuel crisis has rewritten the energy-security debate,” Jellema said.
She argued that renewable energy could provide an opportunity to build an energy system that is cleaner, more affordable and more resilient, but said governments needed to match technological progress with investment and supportive policies.
“Technology is moving fast. Communities are ready. But political delivery is lagging behind,” she said.
Jellema called on governments to use the period between UNGA and COP31 to set out practical plans for expanding renewable electricity, improving affordability and implementing fossil-fuel phase-out commitments.
The organisations said the months ahead should focus not only on announcing additional renewable-energy targets, but on establishing detailed plans covering financing, grid expansion, regulation, energy access and the distribution of economic benefits.
The Global Energy Monitor has similarly described 2030 as a decisive period for converting renewable-energy ambitions into operating capacity.
For countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, the emerging message from the discussions is that renewable resources are increasingly available, while the critical challenge is creating the financial, institutional and infrastructure conditions required to harness them at scale.