diff --git a/Snakefile b/Snakefile
index 7da7a396..e04a71d3 100644
--- a/Snakefile
+++ b/Snakefile
@@ -341,7 +341,13 @@ rule retrieve_ship_raster:
 rule build_ship_raster:
     input:
         ship_density="data/shipdensity_global.zip",
-        cutouts=expand("cutouts/" + CDIR + "{cutouts}.nc", **config["atlite"]),
+        cutouts=expand(
+            "cutouts/" + CDIR + "{cutout}.nc",
+            cutout=[
+                config["renewable"][k]["cutout"]
+                for k in config["electricity"]["renewable_carriers"]
+            ],
+        ),
     output:
         "resources/" + RDIR + "shipdensity_raster.nc",
     log:
@@ -403,9 +409,7 @@ rule build_hydro_profile:
     input:
         country_shapes="resources/" + RDIR + "country_shapes.geojson",
         eia_hydro_generation="data/eia_hydro_annual_generation.csv",
-        cutout=f"cutouts/" + CDIR + config["renewable"]["hydro"]["cutout"] + ".nc"
-        if "hydro" in config["renewable"]
-        else [],
+        cutout=f"cutouts/" + CDIR + config["renewable"]["hydro"]["cutout"] + ".nc",
     output:
         "resources/" + RDIR + "profile_hydro.nc",
     log:
@@ -420,7 +424,7 @@ rule add_electricity:
     input:
         **{
             f"profile_{tech}": "resources/" + RDIR + f"profile_{tech}.nc"
-            for tech in config["renewable"]
+            for tech in config["electricity"]["renewable_carriers"]
         },
         **{
             f"conventional_{carrier}_{attr}": fn
diff --git a/config.default.yaml b/config.default.yaml
index b90b06fc..59782b1f 100755
--- a/config.default.yaml
+++ b/config.default.yaml
@@ -693,8 +693,8 @@ solving:
       solutiontype: 2 # non basic solution, ie no crossover
       barrier_convergetol: 1.e-5
       feasopt_tolerance: 1.e-6
-
     cbc-default: {} # Used in CI
+    glpk-default: {} # Used in CI
 
   mem: 30000 #memory in MB; 20 GB enough for 50+B+I+H2; 100 GB for 181+B+I+H2
 
diff --git a/doc/release_notes.rst b/doc/release_notes.rst
index 67058d9f..bf6c8e6a 100644
--- a/doc/release_notes.rst
+++ b/doc/release_notes.rst
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Release Notes
 Upcoming Release
 ================
 
-* new features
+* The solver configuration in `config.default.yaml` are now modularized. To change the set of solver options, change to value in `solving`: `solver`: `options` to one of the keys `solving`: `solver_options`.
 
 PyPSA-Eur Releases (pre-merge)
 ==============================
diff --git a/scripts/add_electricity.py b/scripts/add_electricity.py
index 88ea2ada..6daf0111 100755
--- a/scripts/add_electricity.py
+++ b/scripts/add_electricity.py
@@ -720,7 +720,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     ppl = load_powerplants(snakemake.input.powerplants)
 
     if "renewable_carriers" in snakemake.config["electricity"]:
-        renewable_carriers = set(snakemake.config["renewable"])
+        renewable_carriers = set(snakemake.config["electricity"]["renewable_carriers"])
     else:
         logger.warning(
             "Missing key `renewable_carriers` under config entry `electricity`. "
diff --git a/test/config.test1.yaml b/test/config.test1.yaml
index 5a44a394..cf8e06bc 100755
--- a/test/config.test1.yaml
+++ b/test/config.test1.yaml
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ electricity:
     Store: [H2]
     Link: [H2 pipeline]
 
+  renewable_carriers: [solar, onwind, offwind-ac, offwind-dc]
+
 
 atlite:
   cutouts:
@@ -44,9 +46,12 @@ renewable:
   solar:
     cutout: be-03-2013-era5
 
+
 clustering:
   exclude_carriers: ["OCGT", "offwind-ac", "coal"]
 
+
 solving:
   solver:
     name: glpk
+    options: "glpk-default"