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This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) examines the inefficiencies within the U.S. heavy-duty trucking industry, specifically Class 7 and 8 trucks. It identifies a fragmented value chain and cultural barriers as primary obstacles to efficiency, while asserting that existing technology could double trucking efficiency through improvements in platform, operations, and regulation.

The document, titled "The Origins of the Nuclear Power Fiasco," is a critical analysis of the failure of the U.S. civilian nuclear power industry. It argues that the industry collapsed due to a combination of structural and conceptual errors, including the promotion of economic myths, a failure to account for the real costs of safety and waste management, and a federal energy policy that prioritized hardware development over energy efficiency and market reality.

This research paper by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argues that Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) is a superior financial tool compared to simple payback analysis for evaluating energy efficiency measures (EEMs) in building construction and retrofits. The authors advocate for a comprehensive four-step LCCA process—establishing a baseline, defining EEMs, calculating financial metrics, and bundling measures—to capture synergistic benefits and avoid sub-optimal design choices.

This research paper by RMI outlines strategies for integrating energy modeling throughout the four main phases of building design—concept, schematic design, design development, and construction documentation—to move beyond simple code compliance and actively minimize energy use.

This statement by Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) responds to a Wall Street Journal op-ed by RADM Robert G. James, defending the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) pursuit of energy efficiency and renewable energy as a matter of national security and combat effectiveness.

This pre-read document, authored by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), provides a comprehensive overview of the building energy modeling (BEM) industry in the United States to prepare attendees for the BEM Innovation Summit. It details the history of BEM, identifies systemic barriers to quality and credibility, analyzes the current state of simulation tools and practitioner training, and explores market drivers such as LEED certification and federal energy regulations.

This research paper by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and PG&E examines the challenges and opportunities presented by the rise of zero net energy (ZNE) buildings and distributed energy resources (DERs). It argues that traditional utility business models and volumetric rate structures are poorly adapted to a bidirectional power system, potentially leading to economic inefficiencies and equity issues. The authors propose a framework for solutions based on rigorous impact measurement, the use of price signals to align incentives, and the evolution of utility business models toward either incentive-based regulation or a network utility model.

The provided text consists of fragmented pages from a Rocky Mountain Institute report titled "REINVENTING FIRE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA," containing primarily headers and two data visualizations regarding emergency energy savings and solar PV costs.

This document is a rebuttal by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to an article and subsequent response by Charles C. Mann in The Atlantic. Lovins argues that Mann ignores the role of efficiency and technological innovation in reducing oil demand and misrepresents the reliability and economic viability of renewable energy, specifically in Germany.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) examines how traditional building project delivery methods hinder sustainability and proposes that specific contracting stipulations, particularly through Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), can overcome these barriers to improve energy efficiency and project outcomes.

This executive summary reports on a workshop held on April 2, 2014, convened by the General Services Administration (GSA), the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). The workshop aimed to review the National Deep Energy Retrofit (NDER) program and collaborate with energy service companies (ESCOs) to increase energy savings in federal buildings through energy saving performance contracts (ESPCs).

In this commentary to Nathan Gardels, Amory Lovins discusses the unintended consequences and existential risks associated with four powerful technologies: nuclear fission, genetic manipulation, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence. Lovins argues that the pursuit of technological possibility without wisdom or feedback mechanisms poses a grave threat to humanity and suggests that safer, more biologically informed alternatives often exist.

This RMI report identifies a substantial 'electric productivity gap' between the top ten most efficient U.S. states and the national average. After adjusting for climate and economic composition, the report finds a normalized gap of 1.2 million GWh annually, equivalent to 31% of 2005 retail sales. RMI concludes that closing this gap through known policy and technical levers could reduce projected 2020 electricity demand by 34% while maintaining economic growth.

The 'Greening the White House' project, initiated by the Clinton Administration in 1993, is a comprehensive energy and environmental retrofit of the White House complex and the Old Executive Office Building (OEOB). Led by an Inter-Governmental-Agency Team, the project employs a six-component strategy—audit, feasibility study, early actions, demonstration spaces, long-term initiatives, and technology transfer—to improve resource efficiency and environmental performance while respecting the historic and security requirements of the site.

This editorial by Amory B. Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute argues that the perceived inevitability of increased fossil fuel consumption is a flawed assumption. By applying engineering-economic analysis, the authors suggest that a 'least-cost energy strategy' focusing on energy efficiency and renewables can reduce fossil fuel reliance to nearly zero within half a century, effectively mitigating the CO2 problem through economic rationality rather than solely through climatic cost-benefit analyses.

The report 'HOW NOT TO PARACHUTE MORE CATS' by Hunter and Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute argues that global resource crises—including energy, water, and climate change—can be solved by understanding interconnections and prioritizing resource efficiency over the expansion of supply. The authors advocate for a 'least-cost' approach, demonstrating that energy efficiency and renewable technologies are often cheaper and more effective than fossil fuels or nuclear power. They suggest that these technical solutions can simultaneously improve economic health, reduce nuclear proliferation, and enhance global security by reducing dependence on volatile resources like Mideast oil.

The report introduces 'natural capitalism,' a business framework that argues the current economic model is deficient because it liquidates natural capital and ecosystem services. The authors propose four principles—increasing resource productivity, eliminating waste, shifting to service-and-flow models, and investing in natural capital—to align corporate profit with planetary health.

This report chapter argues that while market economies are powerful tools for resource allocation, they are frequently dysfunctional due to theoretical misconceptions, capital misallocation, and organizational or regulatory failures. It proposes 'natural capitalism' as a framework to extend market principles to all forms of material value, including natural capital, by identifying and turning market imperfections into business opportunities for resource efficiency.

This report chapter explores how industrial production can transition from a linear 'depletion to pollution' model to a circular system based on biological principles. It argues that significant reductions in energy and material use are possible through a combination of smarter design, new technologies, distributed controls, corporate culture shifts, and the adoption of remanufacturing and recycling.

This report chapter explores 'green development,' demonstrating how the integration of resource efficiency, environmental sensitivity, and human well-being can lead to superior financial performance in real estate. Through various case studies of commercial buildings, residential developments, and hotels, the text argues that intelligent design reduces operating costs, increases labor productivity, and enhances property value while restoring community and ecological health.