Potential effects of climate change and solar radiation modification on renewable energy resources

Andrew Kumler, Ben Kravitz, Caroline Draxl, Laura Vimmerstedt, Brandon Benton, Julie K. Lundquist, Michael Martin, Holly Jean Buck, Hailong Wang, Christopher Lennard and Ling Tao

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025, vol. 207, issue C

Abstract: Solar radiation modification (SRM) is a possible deliberate approach to decrease or reflect incoming solar radiation with the goal of reducing global temperatures, which have increased over the last decades due to high atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Stratospheric aerosol injection, specifically, has shown potential for successfully reducing global temperatures in climate model simulations. Despite the growing literature in the areas of climate change and SRM, their combined effects on renewable energy generation, a climate change mitigation strategy, have not been addressed. In this review paper, we synthesize previous literature on the possible effects of climate change and SRM on renewable energy resources (i.e., wind energy, solar energy, biomass energy, and hydropower), review the status of climate change and SRM research, and explore potential effects of SRM on renewable energy primarily in the Continental United States (CONUS), but with global perspectives as well. We discuss the research challenges and impacts of SRM on renewable energy and conclude by discussing the potential implications of SRM for renewables for SRM governance and policy. This work is not advocating for or against SRM. It is highlighting an important potential impact for future decision makers.

Keywords: Solar radiation modification; Solar geoengineering; Stratospheric aerosol injection; Climate change; Solar energy; Wind energy; Hydropower; Bioenergy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114934

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