In Fall 2025, ACORE, Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, the EFI Foundation (EFIF), and the World Resources Institute (WRI) convened technology developers, finance providers, large-load customers, and legal and policy experts to explore the financing of clean electricity sectors.
The roundtable featured two sessions focused on (i) keeping finance flowing toward wind, solar, and storage, and (ii) expanding investment and commercial opportunities in clean firm power technologies, with a specific focus on advanced geothermal, advanced nuclear, gas with carbon capture and storage, and long-duration energy storage.
Overall, participants defined three central challenges to financing clean electricity:
- Inflationary pressure and the rapid increase in electricity demand;
- Regulatory and policy uncertainty around tax credits and permitting; and
- Financing barriers for first-of-a-kind clean firm power projects.
EFIF co-led the second session with Duke University’s Nicholas Institute to explore practical strategies for increasing lender confidence and helping early-stage companies attract financing for clean firm power projects. The discussion centered on how to fund the first-of-a-kind (FOAK) demonstration and commercial-scale pilot projects that are essential steps toward broader deployment.
Participants emphasized several strategies to strengthen the financing environment for FOAK projects. These include expanding risk-sharing tools through public-private mechanisms, building strategic partnerships to support fundraising, and improving institutional and workforce capacity. They also highlighted the importance of regulatory reforms that enhance cost recovery and more accurately value the attributes of clean firm power. Taken together, these efforts can help build a pipeline of bankable projects capable of meeting the nation’s rising demand for affordable, reliable, and clean electricity.
