# Brattle Group model for Pew: 524 GW of DERs could avoid $614 billion in U.S. power system costs by 2050

- Published: 2026-11-14 06:07 UTC
- Section: Power & Energy › Energy
- Tags: distributed energy resources, DER capacity 524 GW, Brattle Group study, Pew Charitable Trusts, U.S. power system costs, household electricity bills, rooftop solar and storage, interconnection and permitting, gas power plants avoided, power sector emissions
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-4058d512d534ceedcb656e72_brattle_group_model/

**Modeling by The Brattle Group for Pew shows that removing permitting and interconnection barriers could raise U.S. DER capacity 4.5 times and halve the projected rise in household bills.**

![Brattle Group model for Pew: 524 GW of DERs could avoid $614 billion in U.S. power system costs by 2050](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/13aea2245dfac507.jpg)
*Dr. Chinchu C., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0*

On Nov. 13, 2026, The Pew Charitable Trusts published results of modeling by The Brattle Group, a consulting firm specializing in energy markets, according to prnewswire.com [1]. The model assesses how faster deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop solar and battery storage, would affect the costs and emissions of the U.S. power system. If key policy and regulatory barriers are removed nationwide, total DER capacity could more than quadruple to 524 GW by 2050 [1].

The study compared two scenarios through 2050. The "status quo" scenario assumes current barriers persist, including inefficient local permitting, slow interconnection and utility planning that does not account for DERs. The "expanded DER" scenario assumes these barriers are eliminated and DERs are included in resource planning across the country [1].

## Costs and household bills

According to the report, 4.5 times more DER capacity could avoid $614 billion in power system costs through 2050. In 2050 alone, the expanded scenario avoids up to $43 billion annually compared with the status quo [1]. Of the total, $266 billion, or 43%, would come from reforming local permitting, streamlining interconnection and grid access, and integrating DERs into distribution planning [1].

The authors project that the expected increase in the average annual U.S. household electricity bill could be cut in half in inflation-adjusted dollars by 2035. They state that the downward pressure on bills applies to all customers, not only those with DERs [1].

Brattle also estimated the risk of overbuilding. If load growth falls short of forecasts, planners may have overbuilt the system by 153 GW in 2035. Because DERs are modular and can be scaled gradually, better inclusion in planning could save $33 billion between 2030 and 2040 by avoiding new power plants for demand that does not fully materialize [1].

## Gas capacity and emissions

The scenario with 4.5 times more DER capacity lowers U.S. power sector carbon emissions by 3% through 2050, roughly 863 million metric tons cumulatively [1]. It could eliminate the need for about 70 GW of projected new gas generation between 2030 and 2050. That is a 22% reduction in forecast additions, comparable to the capacity of about 175 gas plants [1].

The report also finds that at this level of DER deployment, the annual cost of achieving a carbon-free power sector in 2050 falls by $45 billion [1]. The authors note that state policymakers can pursue these results through more efficient local permitting, flexible interconnection and distribution planning that accounts for DERs. Pew set out such measures in its DER policy playbook [1].

## Sources

1. [prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-research-shows-ders-could-avoid-more-than-half-a-trillion-dollars-in-us-energy-costs-302939037.html)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-4058d512d534ceedcb656e72_brattle_group_model/