Reinventing Fire: Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) proposes a transformative energy strategy for China termed "Reinventing Fire." The authors argue that China can decouple economic growth from fossil fuel dependence by focusing on three "gamechangers": oil-free mobility, integrative design for radical efficiency in buildings and industry, and a redefined, more distributed electric grid.

• China faces critical energy security and environmental risks, as it is the world's largest oil importer and the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, burning more coal than the rest of the world combined.
• To achieve oil-free mobility, China should prioritize ultralighting vehicles using carbon-fiber composites, which can reduce total vehicle weight by 50–70% and energy needs by half to two-thirds, making electric propulsion more affordable.
• China's road freight logistics are highly inefficient compared to developed countries, with loading rates one-third lower; 90% of road freight is handled by providers with ten or fewer trucks, and 40% by single-truck carriers.
• The "integrative design" approach focuses on optimizing whole systems rather than individual components, which can lead to order-of-magnitude energy savings at lower costs. Examples include a Shanghai carpet factory that reduced pumping power by at least 86% and a Texas Instrument chip fab that cut total capital cost by 30%.
• In the building sector, integrative design and proper retrofit sequencing can save 40–70% of energy in existing commercial buildings, often repaying costs within a few years.
• A hybridized, distributed grid model is presented as preferable to centralized models due to lower risks across financial, operational, security, climate, water, fuel, health, and public acceptance categories.
• The report cites international precedents for high-renewable grids, noting that Denmark intends to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2035 and 100% renewable energy in all sectors by 2050 at essentially no extra cost.
• RMI's analysis of the United States suggests that "reinventing fire" could support a 158%-bigger economy by 2050, save $5 trillion in net present value, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 80% while eliminating coal and oil use.

APA

Lovins, A. B., & Creyts, J. C. (2013). Reinventing Fire: Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2014-08_ReinventingFire-ThreeEnergyGamechangersforChinaandtheWorld.pdf

Chicago

Lovins, Amory B., and Jon C. Creyts. Reinventing Fire: Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World. RMI, 2013. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2014-08_ReinventingFire-ThreeEnergyGamechangersforChinaandtheWorld.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lovins |first1=Amory B. |last2=Creyts |first2=Jon C. |title=Reinventing Fire: Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World |publisher=RMI |date=15 November 2013 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2014-08_ReinventingFire-ThreeEnergyGamechangersforChinaandtheWorld.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lovins2013reinventing, author = {Lovins, Amory B. and Creyts, Jon C.}, title = {{Reinventing Fire: Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2014-08_ReinventingFire-ThreeEnergyGamechangersforChinaandtheWorld.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }