Three developments are unfolding in voluntary clean energy markets that may help create the winning recipe for more companies to make higher impact options like Peace Renewable Energy Credits (P-RECs) part of their global strategy: evolving corporate incentives, stable corporate sustainability budgets and procurement, and lower average prices worldwide. Buyers and their respective external advisory firms should take note as buyers soon begin developing their annual strategy in Q2.
First, higher impact clean energy procurement options like P-RECs may soon “count” in more places across various climate-related reporting frameworks that are currently undergoing revision processes, namely the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) and Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Greater recognition of higher impact options would strengthen incentives for companies to procure them. Learn more in this guidance that Energy Peace Partners (EPP) recently published.
Second, despite a volatile geopolitical environment, most corporate sustainability and clean energy budgets remained stable last year. Corporate sustainability and energy teams have annual budgets at their disposal to make progress toward their company’s respective annual targets. While there has been some downsizing across corporate sustainability teams, stable budgets and annual procurement suggests durability in voluntary markets.
Lastly, prices for various types of generic energy attribute certificates (EACs) worldwide were lower in 2025 and remain low in 2026 compared to prices in prior recent years. These price declines are most notable for Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) in North America and Guarantees of Origin (GOs) in Europe. Prices also remain low in most International Renewable Energy Certificate (I-REC) markets in markets across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
A variety of factors—ranging from growing EAC supplies as more clean energy projects come online to a growing bifurcation in the market between generic and premium, higher impact options—are contributing to lower prices. This downward pricing trend might create a budgetary opening for more corporate clean energy buyers to integrate premium, high-impact, and higher priced procurement options like P-RECs into their global strategy.
Low prices for conventional EACs (i.e., the majority of EACs, which come from verified clean energy generation but lack specialized impact labels)—along with stable corporate sustainability budgets and potential new incentives—may create an opportunity for more corporate buyers to allocate a greater share of budgets toward higher impact options like P-RECs, which deliver catalytic financing for new renewable mini-grids and community projects in the world’s most fragile, least-electrified regions. Prior P-REC transactions supported new mini-grids along with linked community projects, such as productive use hubs, school and hospital electrification projects, and public street lights. These projects also rely on the leadership of project developer entrepreneurs with powerful stories to share about why they build mini-grids in fragile communities.
By blending higher impact options like P-RECs with conventional EACs, buyers can achieve a comparable average price paid per EAC across their global strategy and arrive at a similar annual expenditure. This is because higher impact options can deliver more decarbonization impact and/or community benefits per dollar spent compared to their conventional counterparts. Buyers that integrate higher impact options into their strategy can then demonstrate industry leadership and competitive differentiation.
Potential budget openings caused by low prices for EACs must be balanced against other budgetary pressures, such as increasing costs associated with growing climate-related reporting requirements and wider value chain (“Scope 3”) decarbonization programs. One powerful way for corporate buyers to increase the likelihood of incorporating higher impact options into their strategy is to illustrate stronger links to their company’s core business. For example, buyers can connect the dots for internal stakeholders between their supply chains, customers, and the communities that would benefit from the expanded energy access to strengthen the case for P-RECs. More specifically, they can highlight among internal stakeholders how higher impact strategies can introduce new business opportunities to enhance supplier relationships (e.g., better contractual terms linked to participation in supplier decarbonization programs) and engage more effectively with customers (e.g., product differentiation from a higher impact sustainability strategy), along with reducing value chain risks.
These three market developments provide a foundation for more companies to prioritize impact. As voluntary markets continue to evolve and navigate today’s volatile geopolitical environment, the direction of travel in these markets appears aligned with more opportunities for corporate buyers to support higher impact clean energy.
Buyers and their advisory firms should consider these market developments and consider P-RECs when building their 2026 strategy in the months ahead. The P-REC Dealbook offers details about remaining 2025 and soon-available 2026 P-REC supplies. Advisory firms can also use this guidance on how to weave P-RECs into their conversations with buyers and the strategies they help buyers build and implement.
To learn more about how to make P-RECs part of your (or your clients’) strategy, contact EPP’s Director of Market Development, Doug Miller, at dmiller@energypeacepartners.com.