Navigating a shifting energy landscape in 2026: what corporate buyers need to know

For sustainability teams working toward 2030 goals, the OBBB, GHG Protocol revisions, and surging demand are converging into a narrowing window for clean energy procurement

The OBBB has redrawn the rules for renewable energy development, the GHG Protocol is reconsidering how Scope 2 accounting will work, and corporate demand for clean energy is accelerating into a shrinking supply window. If your Scope 2 strategy depends on supply that hasn't been secured yet, the window to act is closing fast.

The clean energy supply is shrinking

The 2025 OBBB reconciliation bill fundamentally changed the economics of new renewable energy development in the US.

The OBBB’s impact on supply:

• Tax credit support for wind and solar has been cut short and stricter foreign supply chain restrictions have been enforced, making it significantly more expensive to build new projects
• Projects must begin construction by July 4, 2026, just a few short months from now, or be operational by December 31, 2027 to qualify for full tax credits, meaning the pipeline of new projects will drop sharply after the deadlines
• Higher development costs will flow directly into the prices corporate buyers pay - analysts estimate solar cost increases of approximately $15/MWh

What this means for corporate buyers:

• The pool of high-quality, available projects is rapidly shrinking
• Projects coming online will carry higher price tags as development costs rise
• The window to secure favorable terms to meet 2030 targets is shrinking

The standards your strategy is built on are under review

Most companies meet their Scope 2 targets by purchasing enough clean energy annually to match their total electricity use. The GHG Protocol is considering revisions that would require companies to match their clean energy purchases to their electricity use in the same hour it was consumed, and from the same geographic region. Final rules aren't expected until 2027, but that timeline is not a reason to wait.

What hourly and location matching’s could mean for scope 2 accounting:

• Annual matching strategies would need to be restructured
• Compliance complexity and cost would increase, particularly for mid-sized companies
• National markets would fragment into narrower regional ones, limiting options and raising prices further

What this would mean for corporate buyers:

• Strategies that satisfy today’s Scope 2 guidelines may not satisfy tomorrow’s
• Contracts executed before the new rules take effect will likely qualify for the proposed legacy treatment, making early action the lowest-risk path through 2030 and beyond
• Procurement decisions made in 2026 will shape how exposed your company is when the rules change

Demand is outpacing supply

Corporate demand for clean energy is growing faster than the market can accommodate. Data centers and AI infrastructure are driving an unprecedented surge in electricity consumption and hyperscalers are aggressively locking up clean energy supply to meet it. The companies that haven't yet locked in supply are competing for the same inventory against these companies with dedicated energy procurement teams and a wave of other companies racing to meet 2030 commitments.

Demand surge's impact on availability:

• RE100 signatories and companies carrying SBTi commitments are entering the final years of their 2030 targets, accelerating procurement timelines across the market
• The pool of high-quality, available projects is shrinking while the number of companies competing for them is growing
• Developers are prioritizing buyers who can move quickly, which puts companies still in early planning stages at a disadvantage

What this means for corporate buyers

• Buyers without secured supply are entering a procurement environment that is more expensive, more competitive, and harder to navigate 
• Securing supply now is a strategic procurement decision that will shape how credibly your company can report on its 2030 climate commitments
• Companies that act in 2026 will have meaningfully more choices and better pricing than those who wait until 2027 or 2028

What this means for your scope 2 strategy

The sustainability managers who will meet their 2030 targets will be the ones who treat procurement as an urgent priority before the window closes and secure supply while it is still available, at prices CFOs can defend, from projects with verified impact they can stand behind publicly. 

Ever.green works with sustainability teams to procure High-Impact RECs through forward contracts that directly support new clean energy development, giving corporate buyers a credible, defensible path to their Scope 2 goals. If you're ready to think through a practical strategy to support your 2030 targets, reach out to Liz Pearce at liz@ever.green.