Why ‘New’ Renewable Energy Should Trump 24/7 Matching in Supply Chain and Climate Standards

Introduction

The clean energy industry stands at a crossroads—caught between the allure of precise, hourly carbon claims and the practical urgency of grid transformation. As debates heat up over 24/7 matching, location granularity, and the future of Scope 2 reporting, one thing is clear: it’s time to get pragmatic about impact. If we need to accelerate renewable energy deployment and cut grid emissions, our highest priority must be bringing new, high-impact projects online wherever they move the carbon needle most.

The Hourly Matching Debate - A (Necessary) Distraction?

Hourly matching (24/7 CFE) is rising fast. It promises better accounting integrity and delivers on the dream of “true” zero-emissions operations. What if prioritizing a clean MWh for every MWh consumed narrows procurement, pushes battery use over new builds, and leaves us short on new generation?

As highlighted by Ever.green and GHGMI in a recent webinar, the risks are real:

• High-precision rules tighten the market, limit supply, and could drive up costs—without always driving more new build.

• Buyers may find it infeasible to procure time-matched clean electricity—especially in regions that have less than 40% Renewable Energy generation.
  

The Three Pillars of Action

1. When: Drive New Supply

   The world needs over 1,200 GW in new renewable capacity every year—100 times the average new-build targets of the last decade. (For comparison, we built ~500 GW in 2023 and 585 GW in 2024.) Projects financed by historic PPAs or spot market RECs no longer cut it. The only way to materially decarbonize the grid is to help fund NEW renewable projects that require an Impact REC purchase or will not proceed to FID.

   
   

2. Where: Target High-Impact Locations

   Not all MWhs are created equal. Deploying solar or wind in regions that have over 40% Renewable Energy Generation grids does less for the global fight. Advanced platforms, such as those from REsurety, Ever.green, and Zettawatts AREC Market empower buyers to focus dollars where their impact is highest: grids with higher marginal emissions factors.

   
   

3. How: Move Beyond Annual/Static Reporting

   Yes, use more precise, hourly data where it meaningfully shows impact. But “time-matching” alone shouldn’t distract from the real goal: replacing fossil fuels and expanding new clean energy.
   

The Zettawatts Approach: Scalable Additionality

Zettawatts pioneered the AREC Market:

• Buyers enter fixed-price, forward contracts to buy RECs from new projects—pre-commercial operation.

• Developers get a bankable commitment, making project financing possible (or cheaper).

• ARECs deliver the simplicity of RECs with the material impact of PPAs, and aggregation ensures that demand for “additionality” is spread across many projects for risk mitigation.

• Procurement can be tailored for regional emission goals, not just generic “green” claims.
  

Conclusion: The Call for Pragmatic, Impact-Driven Procurement

The debate over Scope 2 claims is more than an academic dispute. It will define whether corporate climate leadership actually moves the grid. Rather than splitting hairs over matching standards, B2B buyers, sustainability execs, and market innovators should rally around what everyone agrees matters:

• Accelerate financing for new supply.

• Target regions where marginal emissions are highest.

• Future-proof Scope 2 (and 3!) claims with procurement that’s both verifiable and impactful.

  
  

New renewable energy, where it does the most good, now. That’s what counts.

Ready to learn more about how ARECs and Additionality can deliver genuine decarbonization at scale?  The Zettawatts AREC Market provides a way for you to achieve net-zero scope 2 emissions while adding new generation capacity to the grid, without the complexity or risks associated with traditional options such as VPPAs.