Decarbonising Power Systems at the Peak: Why Demand Timing Matters More Than Capacity

This research develops a peak-centric framework for electricity decarbonisation, examining how demand response, time-varying tariffs, distributed storage, and short-term market mechanisms reduce emissions more effectively than capacity expansion alone. Using high-resolution load and marginal emissions data, the study demonstrates that peak-focused interventions deliver disproportionate emissions reductions while deferring capital-intensive infrastructure investments. The findings offer a complementary decarbonisation pathway for constrained power systems globally.