This study examines the nexus between renewable energy policies, institutional quality, and economic growth in 140 countries from 2010 to 2021 by employing the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation to address endogeneity concerns and dynamic effects. The empirical findings reveal that the pillars of renewable energy policies (energy efficiency [EE], renewable energy [RE], electricity access [EA], and clean cooking [CC]) are underdeveloped and negatively influence economic growth, highlighting investment constraints, infrastructure bottlenecks, and technological inefficiencies in the transition to sustainable energy systems. Institutional quality plays a critical role in shaping economic performance. Regulatory quality (RQ), the rule of law (RL), and economic growth are positively impacted by political stability and the lack of violence or terrorism (PS), which emphasises the significance of strong legal frameworks and a stable macroeconomic environment. However, there are drawbacks to voice and accountability (VA), governance effectiveness (GE), and control of corruption (REC), indicating that compliance costs and institutional rigidities may impede economic growth. The moderating influence of voice and accountability (VA) in reducing the negative consequences of renewable energy policies and promoting equitable and sustainable growth is one of the study's primary findings. These findings underscore the necessity for adaptive and high-quality institutional reforms, coupled with strategic renewable energy policies, to enhance governance efficiency, mitigate transition costs, and maximize long-term economic gain.
