Optimization of natural gas power plants with solar and wind energy for reduced carbon emissions

Global energy demand continues to grow, and concerns about climate change have placed a spotlight on clean and efficient power generation. While natural gas power plants offer some carbon advantage over coal and oil, their emissions remain substantial. Integrating solar and wind power with natural gas fired generation creates a hybrid system capable of leveraging renewables to offset fossil fuel consumption, reduce overall carbon intensity, and improve flexibility in power supply. This review summarizes key approaches to hybridizing natural gas power plants primarily combined cycle gas turbines with solar and wind technologies. It discusses optimization methods, grid and load considerations, and recent advances in thermal storage and power-to-gas strategies. The paper also highlights the challenges in economic feasibility, energy storage, and system integration that hinder large-scale adoption. Finally, we provide an outlook on future research directions to advance the design, simulation, and deployment of integrated systems that effectively reduce carbon emissions hile maintaining grid reliability.