ReviewRenewable electricity finance in the United States: A state-of-the-art review

•The cost of financing is a crucial contributor to total renewable electricity capital costs.•A number of options exist currently for renewable electricity financing.•A range of new innovations are spurring additional growth in capacity additions.•This review draws on semi-structured interviews and literature review.

This paper discusses a range of existing and emerging options for financing renewable electricity. We use the United States as a reference case study. To contextualize the discussion, we begin with scenarios for the deployment of various renewable energy technologies globally, followed by coverage of the United States renewable energy supply, supporting policies, and an introduction to renewable electricity finance for the non-specialist reader. We subsequently cover several prominent historical delivery mechanisms for the provision of renewable electricity finance, as well as key emerging opportunities. Further research in this area is encouraged.