Many stated and proposed goals for decarbonization call for deep reductions achieving “net-zero” CO2 emissions. However, there are many possible interpretations of such a target. This report explores the implications of alternative pathways to reach net-zero emissions for the electric sector, including: the differences between pathways that reach net-zero versus absolute-zero (that is, whether residual positive emissions can be balanced by an equivalent amount of carbon removal or offsets); the timing of the target and intermediate targets; the roles of key low-carbon technologies; and how electric sector decarbonization enables economy-wide decarbonization. The results indicate that requiring emissions in the electric sector to reach absolute-zero incurs very high marginal costs and outlines several alternative strategies that achieve emissions goals at lower cost, such as the crediting of negative emissions technologies and flexibility of target timing.