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The Rocky Mountain Institute presents a business model for net zero energy (NZE) districts that achieves life-cycle cost neutrality compared to business-as-usual (BAU) developments. The model centers on an Integrated Energy Services Provider (IESP) that manages a micro-utility, district heating and cooling, and renewable energy deployment. By shifting capital costs for heating/cooling and solar PV away from parcel developers and providing on-bill financing for energy efficiency, the model reduces upfront costs for developers and lowers total energy bills for tenants. The approach includes outcome-based energy-performance requirements enforced through a system of incentives and penalties. A case study of a 180-acre mixed-use development in a midsize U.S. city demonstrates that the model remains economically favorable even under challenging conditions such as low electricity rates and a lack of net metering.

The document examines the $6.8 billion merger between Exelon and Pepco, focusing on the contentious approval process in Washington, D.C. It uses this case to highlight five industry trends: increased utility consolidation to hedge against low wholesale power prices, disputes over microgrid ownership, the criticality of rate design equity, the rise of empowered local customer constituencies, and the proliferation of state-level power sector transformation proceedings.

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that significant portions of the U.S. East and Gulf Coast electricity grids are currently exposed to coastal flooding, a risk that will increase as sea levels rise. In the central Gulf Coast specifically, 188 major substations and 20 power plants are currently at risk from a major storm. The report argues that relying on historical flood data is insufficient and recommends a combination of infrastructure adaptation (protection, accommodation, and retreat) and the deployment of decentralized clean energy solutions—such as microgrids and solar with storage—to ensure community resilience and reduce the carbon emissions driving sea level rise.

The report finds that significant portions of the U.S. East and Gulf Coast electricity grids are exposed to coastal flooding, with the Delaware Valley specifically facing risks to 79 substations and 35 power plants under current Category 3 hurricane conditions. It warns that reliance on historical flood data underestimates future risks as sea levels rise, potentially leading to widespread, long-lasting power outages. To address this, the authors recommend a combination of infrastructure adaptation (protection, accommodation, and retreat) and the deployment of decentralized clean energy technologies—such as solar with storage, combined heat and power (CHP) plants, and microgrids—to ensure critical facilities remain powered during grid failures while reducing the carbon emissions that drive sea level rise.

The report examines how rising sea levels and storm surges threaten critical electricity infrastructure, such as substations and power plants, in five major U.S. coastal regions. It finds that significant portions of the grid are already exposed to flooding, which can lead to widespread and prolonged power outages. The authors argue that current planning relies on outdated historical data and recommend a shift toward decentralized, resilient clean energy systems—including microgrids, energy storage, and combined heat and power plants—alongside infrastructure adaptation strategies like protection, accommodation, and retreat.

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that significant electricity infrastructure along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts is currently exposed to storm surge, a risk that will increase with sea level rise. In the South Carolina Lowcountry, 54 major substations and seven power plants are currently at risk. The report advocates for adaptation strategies—protection, accommodation, and retreat—and the deployment of decentralized clean energy technologies like microgrids and energy storage to ensure community resilience and reduce carbon emissions.

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that significant portions of the U.S. East and Gulf Coast electricity grids are exposed to storm surge, a risk that will increase as sea levels rise. In southeastern Florida, the number of major substations at risk from a Category 3 storm is projected to triple by 2070. The report advocates for a shift from centralized grids to decentralized, resilient power systems—such as microgrids and renewable energy with storage—to protect critical facilities and reduce carbon emissions.

The report finds that significant portions of the U.S. East and Gulf Coast electricity grids are currently exposed to storm surge, with risks increasing as sea levels rise. In southeastern Virginia, 43 percent of major substations and four power plants are at risk today. The authors advocate for a shift from centralized grids to decentralized, resilient power systems—including microgrids and renewable energy with storage—to maintain critical services during outages and reduce the carbon emissions driving climate change.

The paper examines how different DER ownership models can be used to integrate cost-effective technologies into outdated regulatory frameworks. It argues that no single model is universal, but each can work if the value proposition aligns with the public interest and utilizes an adaptive approach prioritizing fair compensation and transparency. Utility-owned models are effective for early adoption and public goals but risk cost overruns and market power issues. Third-party and customer-owned models excel when they have transparent access to the full value of DERs through dynamic rate design or competitive markets.

The document examines how Hoboken, New Jersey, has historically prioritized short-term economic development over flood risk science, leading to significant vulnerabilities. It details the devastating impacts of Superstorm Sandy and the subsequent implementation of the Hoboken Resiliency and Readiness Plan, which aligns local efforts with federal climate and rebuilding strategies to address sea level rise and extreme weather.

The report examines the transition of U.S. Navy bases in the Southwest toward microgrids to enhance energy security and integrate renewables. It identifies five key findings: the need for more granular design requirements, a conflict between utility-scale renewable goals and microgrid security, the immediate value of enhanced control systems, the complexities of participating in California's electricity markets, and internal Navy bureaucratic barriers. The document recommends that the Navy, grid operators, and regulators collaborate to define reliability needs, quantify the business case, and remove regulatory hurdles to enable microgrid adoption.

Amory Lovins advocates for universities to move beyond reductionist thinking by employing 'integrative design' to optimize buildings and campus systems. He suggests that by engaging students in hands-on, transdisciplinary projects, universities can transition from high energy costs to 'negative costs' through extreme efficiency and onsite renewables. The text emphasizes that the goal for all waste—energy, materials, and water—should be zero, transforming campuses into regenerative microcosms of a sustainable economy.

The document argues that traditional utility business models, based on natural monopolies and centralized generation, are ill-equipped for the rise of distributed energy resources (DERs). It proposes a transition from a linear value chain to a 'value constellation' where the utility acts as a platform for value-based transactions. The paper outlines several potential models, including the Integrated Distributed Resource Manager, the Distributed Resource Finance Aggregator, and the Independent Distribution Network Operator, while discussing international examples of transactive grids and differentiated network charges.

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) operates a microgrid that manages 42 megawatts of generating capacity, including solar photovoltaics, a cogeneration plant, and a landfill-gas fuel cell. This system allows the campus to optimize energy costs and 'island' from the main grid during emergencies, such as the September 2011 blackout affecting Southern California, Arizona, and Mexico.

The GSA Net Zero Renovation Challenge aims to move beyond shallow retrofits by leveraging ESPCs to achieve deep energy savings (over 50%) and net zero energy in a portfolio of 30-35 federal buildings. A workshop convened by RMI and GSA identified key barriers to this goal, including long procurement timelines, high financing costs, and a lack of integrative design. Proposed solutions include streamlining the ESCO selection process from 18 months to approximately 8 months, blending appropriated funds with ESPC financing, and adopting a 'right steps in the right order' approach that prioritizes load reduction before selecting HVAC and renewable systems. The challenge evaluates projects based on absolute energy savings, technical and financial creativity, and progress toward EISA 2007 goals.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is implementing a wide range of energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies across the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. These initiatives aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower long-term costs, and enhance mission effectiveness by decreasing dependence on liquid fossil fuels. Key goals include achieving 'net-zero' energy for numerous installations by 2020 and 2030, increasing the use of alternative fuel blends for aviation and naval vessels, and deploying diverse renewable technologies—such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass—at domestic and overseas bases. The DoD's efforts are guided by internal strategies, a 2010 Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Energy, and federal mandates including Executive Orders 13423 and 13514.

Between 2004 and 2007, Cuba transitioned from a fragile, centralized power system plagued by frequent blackouts to a more resilient model. This was achieved through 'La Revolución Energética', which combined the mass replacement of inefficient appliances (lamps, refrigerators, air conditioners) with the installation of 1,854 diesel and fuel-oil-fired microgenerators. This decentralized architecture improved resilience against hurricanes and reduced oil consumption per kWh compared to central plants, while the country began shifting toward long-term renewable goals including wind, solar, and bagasse cogeneration.

The author contends that nuclear power is economically unviable and inherently linked to proliferation, suggesting that a shift toward 'micropower' and energy efficiency provides a superior, profitable path to energy security and climate mitigation.

The author contends that the perceived intractability of nuclear proliferation, climate change, and oil dependence stems from a mistaken assumption that climate protection and oil displacement are costly. By applying 'integrative design' and 'micropower' (cogeneration and renewables), the author argues that energy efficiency and distributed generation are more profitable, faster to deploy, and more effective than nuclear power. Specifically, the paper asserts that phasing out nuclear power is a necessary condition for nonproliferation because civilian nuclear infrastructure provides the materials and knowledge required for weapons. The author proposes that the U.S. should reform the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by redefining the obligations under Article IV to provide developing nations with efficient, non-nuclear energy security rather than nuclear technology.

The author contends that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) faces critical national security risks due to its inefficient use of fuel in the battlespace and its dependence on a vulnerable commercial electricity grid. To mitigate these, the document proposes two new strategic capabilities: 'Endurance,' which leverages energy efficiency to reduce the logistics 'tail' and increase combat effectiveness, and 'Resilience,' which utilizes onsite renewable microgrids to ensure mission continuity. The author advocates for a shift in metrics, specifically the use of the 'Fully Burdened Cost of Fuel' (FBCF), to incentivize the adoption of available technologies that could potentially reduce mobility-fuel requirements by two-thirds to three-fourths.