Power Systems Decarbonization

Exploring the pathways, technology, market, impacts, and implications of clean power transition

Overview

“Electrifying energy and decarbonizing electricity” is at the heart of global energy transtion. This research theme focuses on transforming the energy landscape by increasing electrification in various sectors, such as transportation, building, and industry, while simultaneously decarbonizing the electricity supply. The goal is to explore the pathways to net-zero emissions power systems and their environmental, climate, human health, and socio-economic implications.

Featured publications

Can China break the ‘cost curse’ of nuclear power?

Nature

Escalating construction expenses threaten to derail global progress on atomic energy. China offers lessons on how to rein in costs.

Jul 31, 2025

Role of pumped hydro storage in China’s power system decarbonization

The Electricity Journal

Our findings indicate that building excessive PHS may not be the most cost-effective path to achieve zero-carbon power system, if there is no major cost reduction of PHS.

Jul 8, 2025

Cost-effectiveness of removing the last 10-20% emissions of China’s power sector

Environmental Research Letters

Eliminating the last 10–20% of CO2 emissions create net climate and health benefits with only slightly increased costs.

Mar 14, 2025

Heterogeneous effects of battery storage deployment strategies on decarbonization of provincial power systems in China

Nature Communications

We find heterogeneous strategy provides the lowest system costs, however, carbon emissions depend on carbon prices.

Aug 11, 2023

More Publications »

Featured resources

SWITCH-China Open Model

SWITCH-China: open source model for the world’s largest power system. Open data on power plants, transmission, costs, and demand by province.

Jun 1, 2022

Multi-Country Electricity Transition (MCET) Network

This global alliance of energy modelers, policymakers, and advocates leverages advanced, open-source energy planning tools to identify the best pathways, costs, and…

Jan 1, 2022

Featured events

2025 Workshop on Open Modeling Carbon Neutrality of the Power Sector

The second workshop on open modeling carbon neutrality of the power sector is held in Xi’an Jiaotong University, China.

Jun 20, 2025

2024 Workshop on Open Modeling Carbon Neutrality of the Power Sector

Deveoping a community to enable open and safe modeling and data sharing

Jul 19, 2024

Featured projects

Global Clean Energy Supply Chains Analysis and Power Systems Resources Adequacy Assessment

University of California, Berkeley

The goal of this project is to collaborate with CCCI team to study global clean energy supply chains and power system resources adequacy.

Power system beyond coal

University of California, Berkeley

The goal of this project is to collaborate with LBL team in modeling the decarbonization of China’s power sector.

Multi-Country Electricity Transition Potential and Challenges Project (MCET)

Environmental Defense Fund

The goal of this project is to provide technical support to the MCET team to assess the opportunities and barriers to decarbonize their electricity sectors using open data…

Power Systems Modeling and Analysis

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Multiple projects to collaborate with LBL team modeling the technology and policy options of decarbonizing China’s power systems.