Integrated planning of net-zero power systems for all

May 4, 2026·
Ziheng Zhu
,
Hanjie Mao
,
Runxin Yu
,
Audun Botterud
,
Michael R. Davidson
,
Xi Lu
,
Yue Qin
,
Bin Su
,
Grace C. Wu
,
Yuyu Zhou
,
Xiaoye Zhang
,
Xiliang Zhang
,
Da Zhang
· 1 min read
Abstract
Achieving global net-zero power systems by mid-century demands integrated frameworks that address climate mitigation and energy access equity. This study presents a spatio-temporally resolved global power-system model at 0.25° x 0.25° and 8760-hour resolution, co-optimizing capacity expansion and system operation. The results show that net-zero global power systems meeting universal electricity needs for decent living standards are technically feasible, requiring 15-20 TW of variable renewable energy. International transmission expansion, renewable technology trade, demand-side management, and careful land-use planning are critical to reducing system costs and improving equity.
Type
Publication
Nature Energy 2026

This paper introduces the GISPO framework for global net-zero power-system planning and provides open code, figure-reproduction scripts, renewable resource datasets, and linear-programming instances for reproducible analysis.

First page of the Nature Energy paper
Figure 1: Nature Energy paper.
GISPO Global Net Zero Power System Energy Access