Renewable Energy Transition Pathways and Net-Zero Strategies

Abstract

This article synthesizes current evidence on renewable energy transition pathways and the design of net-zero strategies, with emphasis on three interdependent levers: (i) recent technological advances shaping renewable deployment and system integration, (ii) the strategic role and constraints of CO₂ capture technologies within power and energy systems, and (iii) the policy architecture required to translate technical potential into durable emissions outcomes. Building on a systems perspective, the paper frames decarbonization as a sequencing problem in which rapid expansion of variable renewables (solar PV and wind) must be co-optimized with enabling infrastructure, transmission and distribution upgrades, inverter-based stability services, storage and demand-side flexibility, to maintain reliability as fossil generation declines. The investigation further evaluates carbon management options, including post-combustion and pre-combustion capture for point sources and emerging CO₂ removal pathways, highlighting that feasibility is governed by capture rates, energy penalties, transport-and-storage access, and robust monitoring, reporting, and verification. Finally, the article assesses how high-impact policy instruments, carbon pricing, clean electricity standards, competitive procurement via auctions and long-term contracts, grid and permitting reform, methane and non-CO₂ regulations, and end-use electrification mandates, interact to reduce investment risk, accelerate deployment, and avoid emissions lock-in. The resulting framework clarifies how technology evolution, infrastructure readiness, and policy credibility jointly determine the cost, pace, and integrity of pathways consistent with mid-century net-zero objectives.