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Gold Standard’s new G-RESET methodology expands access to carbon finance across new renewable generation, asset upgrades, energy storage, captive power supply and aggregation of virtual power plants by replacing blanket geographic screening with project-specific eligibility and additionality tests. New activity requirements for energy systems and a consultation on small-scale electricity access have also been published.
Gold Standard has today published its new Grid-Connected Renewables, Storage and Energy Transition (G-RESET) methodology, giving project developers a broader route to Gold Standard certification for electricity-system projects where carbon finance can be shown to unlock additional climate action.
The methodology responds to a changing energy system. The shift away from fossil fuels is accelerating but making renewable electricity available when and where it is needed is an increasingly urgent challenge. Grid constraints, curtailment, limited storage and insufficient flexibility are preventing clean power from reaching consumers and increasing the cost of the transition, in both developed and emerging economies. G-RESET broadens the range of projects that may be eligible by assessing their circumstances and need for carbon finance, rather than excluding projects on the basis of country income alone.
Alongside G-RESET, Gold Standard has published its final Activity Requirements for Energy Systems and Efficiency (ESE) and launched a public consultation on its new Small-scale Productive Access to Renewable Kilowatt-hours (SPARK) methodology. Together, these three publications provide a framework for financing the energy transition from generation and storage through to grid optimisation, energy efficiency and distributed renewable energy access.
“Renewable energy projects increasingly need to do more than simply add generation. They need to store, shift and deliver clean energy when and where it is needed. G-RESET gives project developers a credible framework for financing projects that address these challenges, while ensuring that carbon finance supports only activities where it can unlock genuinely additional climate action.” - Sarah Leugers, Chief Growth Officer of Gold Standard.
G-RESET: opening access to carbon finance; maintaining safeguards
G-RESET replaces geographic screening with module-specific eligibility and additionality tests, recognising that country income does not reliably indicate whether a project needs carbon finance. It allows a wider range of configurations, including new generation, plant upgrades, storage, captive supply and virtual power plants, while maintaining strict safeguards.
For project developers, this creates a more flexible route to Gold Standard certification across different technologies and project configurations, provided they can demonstrate that carbon finance is necessary and that the activity meets the methodology’s requirements.
Access the G-RESET methodology here.
New requirements for energy systems and efficiency
Gold Standard’s final ESE Activity Requirements set eligibility conditions, boundaries and safeguards for energy activities, including renewables, storage, flexibility, efficiency, green hydrogen and fossil-fuel retirement.
They replace the previous geographic and technology-penetration criteria for grid-connected renewables with an eligibility requirement linked to mitigation outcomes in the host country’s conditional nationally determined contribution (NDC). This determines which activities may apply for certification but does not change the separate requirements for proving additionality or calculating creditable emission reductions.
Access the ESE Activity Requirements here.
SPARK opens a new route for small-scale electricity access
SPARK quantifies emission reductions from activities that provide first-time or expanded access to distributed renewable energy services for under-served households, communities, institutions and enterprises at micro and small scale. The methodology includes three modules: electricity access, mechanical energy, and thermal energy beyond cooking, which can be applied individually or in combination.
The public consultation on SPARK will run from 8 October 2026 to 8 November 2026. Gold Standard welcomes feedback from project developers, policymakers, technical experts, civil society organisations and other stakeholders here.
G-RESET: opening access to carbon finance; maintaining safeguards
G-RESET replaces geographic screening with module-specific eligibility and additionality tests, recognising that country income does not reliably indicate whether a project needs carbon finance. It allows a wider range of configurations, including new generation, plant upgrades, storage, captive supply and virtual power plants, while maintaining strict safeguards.
For project developers, this creates a more flexible route to Gold Standard certification across different technologies and project configurations, provided they can demonstrate that carbon finance is necessary and that the activity meets the methodology’s requirements.
New requirements for energy systems and efficiency
Gold Standard’s final ESE Activity Requirements set eligibility conditions, boundaries and safeguards for energy activities, including renewables, storage, flexibility, efficiency, green hydrogen and fossil-fuel retirement.
They replace the previous geographic and technology-penetration criteria for grid-connected renewables with an eligibility requirement linked to mitigation outcomes in the host country’s conditional nationally determined contribution (NDC). This determines which activities may apply for certification but does not change the separate requirements for proving additionality or calculating creditable emission reductions.
SPARK opens a new route for small-scale electricity access
SPARK quantifies emission reductions from activities that provide first-time or expanded access to distributed renewable energy services for under-served households, communities, institutions and enterprises at micro and small scale. The methodology includes three modules: electricity access, mechanical energy, and thermal energy beyond cooking, which can be applied individually or in combination.
The public consultation on SPARK will run from 8 October 2026 to 8 November 2026. Gold Standard welcomes feedback from project developers, policymakers, technical experts, civil society organisations and other stakeholders here.