Charting the Path to Clean-Powered Productions

This report by RMI provides a decarbonization roadmap for the film and TV industry to transition from diesel generators to clean mobile power solutions, including solar, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and hydrogen power units (HPUs). It analyzes the technical requirements of production sets, identifies systemic barriers to adoption, and proposes coordinated strategies for studios, suppliers, and manufacturers to scale zero-emissions power.

• Diesel generators currently dominate the mobile power industry with an estimated 65%–75% market share, but they are often substantially oversized for actual production needs. A case study of a Vancouver production showed that the average load was only 4% of the diesel generator's nameplate capacity, and maximum load reached only 16%, leading to poor fuel efficiency and equipment degradation.
• Demand-side efficiency measures, such as using LED set lighting and high-efficiency basecamp trailers, can significantly reduce energy requirements. The report estimates that these measures can reduce overall energy demand on a production by approximately 49% on average and reduce peak load by an estimated 63%, from 258 to 95 kW.
• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) offer a nearly silent, zero-emissions alternative to diesel, but they face a gap in high-power, industry-specific products. While small portable units exist, large-scale BESS units capable of replacing 1,400 A tow plant generators are fewer in number, and those over 20 kWh face significant regulatory hurdles, such as the costly and time-consuming UL9540 certification in the United States.
• Hydrogen Power Units (HPUs) provide advantages in high-power output, rapid refueling (under 30 minutes), and performance in extreme temperatures (-10°C to 50°C) where batteries may lose capacity. However, they are hindered by limited refueling infrastructure and safety regulations, such as mandated 5-meter clearance radii around fuel storage.
• The transition to clean mobile power is slowed by a 'stalled innovation loop' caused by fragmented demand. Rental houses are hesitant to invest in expensive clean technology without guaranteed demand from studios, while studios rely on diesel because rental houses lack available clean inventory.
• Clean mobile power solutions carry a significant capital cost premium over diesel; BESS units can be up to two times more expensive, and HPUs up to three times more. When including trailer rental costs, BESS premiums can reach three times the cost of a diesel alternative.
• The report identifies three geographic characteristics that make HPUs more appealing than BESS: infrastructure availability combined with high power demand, extreme temperatures, and the availability of clean hydrogen.
• To accelerate adoption, the report recommends that studios use 'advance market commitments' to aggregate demand, providing manufacturers and rental houses with the bankable assurance needed to scale production and lower per-unit costs.
• The report suggests an 'Energy-as-a-Service' (EaaS) model where productions pay for energy delivered rather than equipment rented, shifting the burden of recharging and refueling logistics to the supplier.

APA

RMI (2025). Charting the Path to Clean-Powered Productions. https://rmi.org/resources/charting-the-path-to-clean-powered-productions/

Chicago

RMI. Charting the Path to Clean-Powered Productions. 2025. https://rmi.org/resources/charting-the-path-to-clean-powered-productions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Charting the Path to Clean-Powered Productions |date=9 December 2025 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/charting-the-path-to-clean-powered-productions/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2025charting, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Charting the Path to Clean-Powered Productions}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/charting-the-path-to-clean-powered-productions/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }