New England residents could save hundreds of billions of dollars and reduce the risk of power blackouts by abandoning state-mandated wind and solar projects in favor of nuclear power and natural gas, a new regional energy study finds.

The report, titled Alternatives to New England’s Affordability Crisis, was produced by Always On Energy Research on behalf of a coalition of free-market think tanks, including the Fiscal Alliance Foundation, Maine Policy Institute, Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, Yankee Institute, and Americans for Prosperity Foundation.

The study modeled multiple energy scenarios through 2050 and found that meeting New England’s future electricity demand using nuclear or natural gas would be dramatically cheaper and more reliable than continuing to pursue net-zero climate mandates centered on wind and solar.

Meeting the region’s 2050 energy needs through nuclear power would cost ratepayers $415.3 billion while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 92 percent, the analysis found. Relying primarily on natural gas would cost $106.9 billion and reduce emissions by roughly 24.5 percent. A blended approach using both nuclear and natural gas would cost $195.8 billion and reduce emissions by 50 percent.

Each of those options would be significantly cheaper than complying with existing renewable energy mandates, which would cost New England ratepayers an estimated $815 billion through 2050 under current net-zero policies.

Supporters of wind and solar energy argue that expanding renewable power is necessary to address climate change and reduce pollution. They say fossil fuels are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and that shifting to renewables is key to meeting climate goals, improving air quality, and mitigating the impact of global warming.

Proponents also say that investing in wind and solar will lower long-term energy costs, reduce reliance on imported fuels, and create jobs. They say improvements in battery storage and grid technology will make renewable power more reliable over time and warn that slowing or reversing renewable mandates could leave the region stuck with older energy systems.

But skeptics of wind and solar power say they cost too much and will never provide enough energy to meet modern-day needs.

The conservative think tanks’ report, released Tuesday, January 13, warns that heavy reliance on wind and solar power increases the likelihood of blackouts because those resources cannot operate continuously, particularly during winter peak demand when heating loads are highest.

“New England policies aimed at decarbonizing the heating and transportation sectors will drive a massive increase in additional electricity demand during the coldest winter months,” Isaac Orr, vice president of research for Always On Energy Research, said in a Fiscal Alliance Foundation press release. “Our analysis found that meeting this new winter peak demand with nuclear or natural gas will save New England families and businesses hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming decades.”

Fiscal Alliance Foundation executive director Paul Diego Craney said current energy mandates amount to an expensive gamble with grid reliability.

“New Englanders are being asked to bankroll an energy experiment that is dramatically more expensive and far less reliable than proven alternatives,” Craney said. “Replacing these mandates with nuclear and natural gas would save hundreds of billions of dollars, strengthen grid reliability, and deliver real emissions reductions without sacrificing affordability or economic competitiveness.”

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy echoed those concerns while praising the study and criticizing Governor Maura Healey’s energy policies.

“Governor Healey has turned her back on Massachusetts residents in favor of a climate agenda that may appeal to her political base but has devastating consequences for everyday families,” Kennealy said. “If we continue down the path she has set, energy prices are projected to rise by as much as 126 percent by 2050.”

Kennealy said continued dependence on intermittent renewable energy could leave residents facing not just higher bills but power shortages.

“If we continue with a rigid, one-track focus on renewables, families will no longer just fear higher energy bills, they will fear blackouts,” he said.

The study draws on data from ISO-New England, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and long-term demand modeling that assumes widespread electrification of heating and transportation across the region. Its authors argue policymakers still have time to reconsider current mandates before costs become locked in.

A press spokesman for Governor Healey could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.