The diffusion of renewable energy in the power system implies high supply variability. Lacking economically viable storage options, renewable energy integration is possible thanks to the presence of modern mid-merit fossil-based technologies, which act as back-up capacity.
A new study on Energy Policy (among the authors, CMCC and EIEE- RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment researcher Elena Verdolini) discusses the role of modern fossil-based power generation technologies in supporting renewable energy investments.
The analysis points to the substantial indirect costs of renewable energy integration and highlights the complementarity of investments in different generation technologies for a successful decarbonization process.

Read the integral version of the paper:
Verdolini E., Vona F., Popp D.,
Bridging the gap: Do fast-reacting fossil technologies facilitate renewable
2018, Energy Policy, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.01.058