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The Alternative Service Delivery Unit (ASDU), implemented by GreenCape, uses an adaptive co-design framework to provide energy services to unserviced communities. In Freedom Farm, a settlement of approximately 2,000 people in Cape Town, the ASDU identified a lack of formal electricity and high unemployment (close to 65%). Community co-design sessions revealed priorities including home-level electricity, connectivity, and safe cooking. Residents expressed a willingness to pay up to R100 per month for these services, with a goal of eventual system ownership.

The Alternative Service Delivery Unit (ASDU), implemented by GreenCape, uses an adaptive co-design framework to provide energy services to unserviced communities. In Malawi Camp, Cape Town, a community of over 1,000 people with no formal electricity, residents identified home-level electricity, food storage (fridges), and area lighting for safety as their primary priorities. While residents expressed a willingness to pay between R50 and R100 per month for these services with the goal of eventual ownership, the document notes that the upcoming relocation of the community to a formal housing development on Symphony Way may decrease the business case for off-grid solutions.

The document warns that increasing residential solar PV adoption in the Western Cape will likely lead to significant municipal revenue losses, as high-income consumers reduce their reliance on the grid. Using the International Futures (IFs) model, the authors project that under a 'Current Path' scenario, the province could lose nearly 11% of municipal revenue cumulatively by 2040. To counter this, the brief proposes a sequential policy approach: short-term investment in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to gather data, medium-term implementation of feed-in tariffs (FIT) and Time of Use (ToU) tariffs to reclaim revenue, and long-term strategic investment in a 'smart grid' and the local PV manufacturing industry. The 'Embrace and Enhance' scenario, which combines high levels of smart infrastructure investment with local manufacturing and ICT spillovers, is forecast to result in the lowest cumulative revenue losses, although it still does not fully offset the impact of decentralized energy production.

The document serves as a regulatory guide, offering a structured set of inquiries to help Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) assess utility resource planning in the context of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It organizes questions into five exhibits covering common IRA considerations, assumptions, forecasts, objectives/scenarios, and solution identification. Key areas of focus include the application of Investment Tax Credits (ITC) and Production Tax Credits (PTC), bonus adders for energy communities and domestic content, the integration of hydrogen and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies, and the utilization of Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) financing. The toolkit also emphasizes the need for utilities to account for IRA-driven changes in load forecasts related to building and transportation electrification, energy efficiency, and distributed energy resources (DERs).

The document examines the transition toward zero net energy (ZNE) buildings and distributed energy resources (DERs), highlighting the misalignment between traditional utility business models and the bidirectional power flows of ZNE designs. It argues that current volumetric rate structures and net energy metering (NEM) can create economic inefficiencies and equity issues. To resolve this, the authors propose a framework involving more rigorous measurement of DER impacts, the use of price signals to align customer incentives with grid value, and the evolution of utility models toward either incentive-based regulation or a 'network utility' approach. The paper emphasizes the need for metrics that account for short-term grid interaction rather than just annual energy balances.

The report argues that distributed and demand-side resources—including energy efficiency, demand response, and solar PV—can fill the near-term supply gap created by the shutdown of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) while supporting California's long-term greenhouse gas reduction goals. It evaluates various resources based on size, cost, deployment speed, and persistence, recommending the creation of capacity markets and the streamlining of permitting and interconnection processes to accelerate adoption.

The report identifies low-income (LI) and fixed-income (FI) customers as critical segments at risk during the transition to distributed energy resources (DER). It maps their specific concerns—including rate affordability, technological barriers, and a lack of trust in environmental groups—against potential conflicts with smart grid and renewable technologies. The document suggests that while some solutions like rebate programs and customer education exist, there are unmet needs in incentive distribution, fair rate structures, and trust-building collaboration.

The report identifies a significant disparity in electric productivity (GDP per kWh) across U.S. states. After normalizing for climate and economic composition, RMI finds a remaining gap of 1.2 million GWh annually. Closing this gap could reduce projected 2020 electricity demand by 34% compared to business-as-usual scenarios while maintaining economic growth.

The document describes the use of NREL's Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) and RMI's internal dispatch model to evaluate the technical feasibility and cost of four electricity scenarios: Maintain, Migrate, Renew, and Transform. It outlines spatial and temporal resolutions, generation cost assumptions based on learning curve theory, and specific modifications made to approximate distributed energy resources in the Transform case.

The report categorizes battery energy storage services into three stakeholder groups: ISO/RTOs, utilities, and customers. It details the technical application and economic value of services such as frequency regulation, resource adequacy, and demand charge reduction. The document includes a meta-study of six major energy storage valuation publications and outlines specific use-case assumptions for commercial and residential systems in San Francisco, New York, and Phoenix.

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) proposes a comprehensive federal strategy to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and oil use by approximately 50% by 2020. The framework prioritizes reducing energy demand through efficiency in buildings, transport, and industry before substituting supply with renewables and biofuels. Key recommendations include implementing 'feebates' for vehicles, establishing a 'Smart Grid', and creating a national 'energy corps' for workforce training. RMI argues that climate protection is profitable and that the U.S. should move toward a system where all energy production and saving methods compete fairly without distorting subsidies.

The report examines the economic viability of 'grid defection'—where customers use solar PV and battery storage to operate independently of the electric grid. It analyzes five U.S. geographies to determine when the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for these systems undercuts retail utility prices. The findings suggest that grid parity is already present in Hawaii and is imminent for millions of other U.S. customers, threatening to strand utility assets and trigger a 'utility death spiral' of rising prices and falling sales.

The document details Tri-State's Responsible Energy Plan (REP), announced in January 2020, which aims to retire significant coal capacity and add over 1 GW of wind and solar power by 2024. It outlines the economic and policy drivers behind the shift, the use of a multi-stakeholder advisory group to build credibility, and the challenges associated with stranded assets, transmission development, and the lack of a regional transmission organization in the West. The plan targets a 100% clean energy portfolio for Colorado by 2040 and a 70% reduction in emissions from Colorado wholesale electric sales by 2030.

The document argues that while minigrids are technically feasible, they lack economic viability due to a typical cost of service between $0.55 and $1.00/kWh, which exceeds customers' ability to pay and the cost of alternatives like diesel generators. RMI proposes a hypothesis that costs can be reduced by over 60% to approximately $0.20/kWh by 2020 by addressing six key areas: hardware standardization, load management, customer engagement, project development/O&M efficiency, affordable financing, and supportive policy. The briefing outlines a strategy to test these ideas across three market segments—large under-grid, large off-grid, and small off-grid with subsidy—using Nigeria and Tanzania as primary test cases.

The Battery Balance of System Charrette report identifies critical barriers to the scaling of behind-the-meter (BTM) energy storage in the U.S., specifically focusing on high non-cell costs, lack of standardization, and limited monetization opportunities. The document outlines a framework for reducing 'balance of system' (BBoS) costs through hardware standardization, streamlined interconnection and permitting, and the creation of new distribution-level markets for aggregated storage services.

The proposal outlines a strategy to provide electricity to millions in sub-Saharan Africa and India using a modular 'solar energy ladder' that progresses from lanterns to microgrids. It aims to prevent carbon emissions and coal plant expansion while stimulating economic growth through standardized design, large-scale procurement, and innovative financing.

The paper contends that nuclear power is experiencing a global collapse due to excessive capital costs and financial risks, making it unfinanceable in private markets. It asserts that 'negawatts' (energy efficiency) and 'micropower' (distributed renewables and cogeneration) are cheaper, faster to deploy, and more reliable alternatives. The authors argue that investing in nuclear power actually worsens climate change by diverting funds from more cost-effective carbon-reduction options. The document further claims that nuclear power fails to enhance energy security due to dependencies on foreign uranium and fuel-cycle technology, and increases proliferation risks.

The report proposes a comprehensive regeneration strategy for the Cuyahoga River Valley, centering on a 'Regenerative Development Zone' to pilot sustainable business and ecological practices. Key recommendations include implementing industrial symbiosis to redefine waste as a resource, restoring watercourses through 'daylighting' buried streams, adopting green building standards, and diversifying the energy mix with renewables and cogeneration. The authors argue that a whole-system approach—integrating water, energy, and industrial processes—will create synergistic economic and environmental value, transforming the region into a global model for industrial brownfield restoration.

The document outlines the necessity of rapid solar PV growth to meet climate targets, identifying high costs as a primary barrier. It proposes a multi-dimensional approach to reduce manufacturing costs by a factor of two or more using lean manufacturing, whole systems design, and end-use efficiency. Additionally, it emphasizes the need to professionalize rooftop installation and calls for government support through stable demand and standardized regulations to avoid supply chain bottlenecks.

The text explores the application of 'lean thinking'—the systematic elimination of 'muda' (waste)—to business operations and the broader economy. It advocates for 'service and flow,' where companies provide the function of a product as a service rather than selling the physical object. This shift is presented as a way to align the interests of providers and customers toward resource productivity, reduce the volatility of the business cycle, and minimize environmental impact through dematerialization and closed-loop systems.