{"689848":{"#nid":"689848","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Survey the Challenges of Integrating Wind and Solar Into Power Grids","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs wind and solar power \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.carbonbrief.org\/wind-and-solar-are-fastest-growing-electricity-sources-in-history\/\u0022\u003Eexpand rapidly\u003C\/a\u003E worldwide, researchers are confronting a growing challenge: how to effectively integrate them into the power grid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWind turbines and solar panels have what economists call zero marginal cost, meaning producing additional units of electricity requires no fuel once installed. At the same time, this renewable energy varies greatly with the weather and can create operational challenges for grid operators.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new review study from Georgia Tech examines how these characteristics are reshaping electricity markets and grid operations \u2014 and why addressing the challenge requires cross-disciplinary collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rser.2025.116334\u0022\u003EThe study\u003C\/a\u003E, published in \u003Cem\u003ERenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews\u003C\/em\u003E, synthesizes more than a decade of research. It analyzes over 200 studies on the engineering, economic, and policy implications of managing renewable energy sources that are both intermittent and effectively zero-cost to operate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWind and solar are now among the lowest-cost sources of electricity in many parts of the world, but integrating them into the grid isn\u2019t simple,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/matthew-oliver\u0022\u003EMatthew Oliver\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Economics\u003C\/a\u003E and lead author of the study. \u201cThe wind doesn\u2019t always blow, and the sun isn\u2019t always shining, so output can fluctuate significantly, which complicates grid management.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe added, \u201cHistorically, variation in electricity systems generally came from the demand side, and operators could simply ramp generation up or down. Now, we have variability on both supply and demand sides.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnalyzing the Data\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking at the problem, Oliver knew he would need to be familiar with engineering concepts to get at the heart of the issue. He created a research team with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/daniel-matisoff\u0022\u003EDaniel Matisoff\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/santiago-carlos-grijalva\u0022\u003ESantiago Grijalva\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E; and graduate student co-authors Maghfira Ramadhani (economics), Oliver Chapman (public policy), and Amanda West (electrical and computer engineering).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnalyzing over 200 studies published since 2010, the team mapped the complex interactions between electricity market design, grid operations, and renewable technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey also explored the economic implications of large amounts of zero-marginal-cost electricity entering wholesale electricity markets. Because wind and solar have very low operating costs, they can lower prices in wholesale electricity markets. That benefits consumers, but it can also make it harder for flexible conventional plants to earn enough revenue to stay available when renewable output falls.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollaborating Across Disciplines\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team argues that successfully scaling renewable energy will depend on collaboration across traditionally separate fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEngineering constraints affect how electricity markets work, markets influence investment decisions, and policy shapes how those investments happen,\u201d Oliver said. \u201cWhen it comes to complex topics like this, you can\u2019t really treat engineering, economics, and policy as separate problems. They\u2019re all part of the same system.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that electricity systems with high shares of renewable energy will require coordinated solutions that combine improved engineering practices, market reforms that value flexibility and reliability, and policies that align private investment with long-term decarbonization goals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur hope is that this paper helps researchers across disciplines communicate more effectively,\u201d Oliver said. \u201cIf we want electricity systems with high levels of renewable energy to work reliably, then engineers, economists, and policymakers all have to understand how their decisions affect the others.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation\u003C\/strong\u003E: Oliver, Matthew E., et al. \u201cManaging Zero-marginal-cost, intermittent renewable energy: A survey of the engineering, economic, and Policy Challenges.\u201d \u003Cem\u003ERenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews\u003C\/em\u003E, vol. 226, Jan. 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rser.2025.116334\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rser.2025.116334\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew interdisciplinary research highlights how engineering, economics, and policy experts must work together to manage intermittent renewable energy.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New interdisciplinary research highlights how engineering, economics, and policy experts must work together to manage intermittent renewable energy."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2026-04-17 18:04:08","changed_gmt":"2026-04-17 18:10:08","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679994":{"id":"679994","type":"image","title":"wind-solar.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETo fully integrate renewables like solar and wind in to the power grid, policy experts, engineers, and economists will have to work together.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776449170","gmt_created":"2026-04-17 18:06:10","changed":"1776449170","gmt_changed":"2026-04-17 18:06:10","alt":"Solar panels cut across the foreground of an image featuring a blue sky and a white wind turbine","file":{"fid":"264224","name":"wind-solar.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/17\/wind-solar.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/17\/wind-solar.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":565508,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/17\/wind-solar.jpg?itok=UnjDTN_b"}}},"media_ids":["679994"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESenior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}