Search Climate Insights Directory
28 results
Driving Electric — 10 Ways Cities Can Move on Electric Mobility in a Changing Landscape
This guide by RMI outlines ten strategies for United States cities to advance inclusive electric mobility, focusing on affordability and accessibility for residents without private vehicles or home charging. It provides specific examples of municipal policies, from building code mandates for EV-readiness in Arizona to zero-emission delivery zones in California, to help cities navigate budget constraints and reduced federal funding.
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Document type: Guide
Driving Electric: Designing EV Carshare to Expand Access to Affordable, Reliable, Clean Transportation
This guide by RMI provides best practices for cities and local partners to design and implement electric vehicle (EV) carshare programs. It outlines various business models—cooperative, for-profit, and nonprofit—and discusses the strategic importance of site selection, partnership development, and policy support to balance financial sustainability with equitable mobility and environmental goals.
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Document type: Guide
Capturing the $100 Billion Carbon Management Opportunity in Texas
This policy brief by RMI argues that Texas is uniquely positioned to lead the global carbon management economy due to its existing industrial infrastructure, geological assets, and a skilled workforce. The document highlights how recent federal policy changes, specifically the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), have enhanced the financial viability of carbon capture and utilization projects through modifications to the 45Q tax credit.
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Document type: Policy brief
The E-Bike Rebate Program Guidebook
The E-Bike Rebate Program Guidebook, published by RMI, provides a comprehensive framework for local governments, nonprofits, and transportation agencies to design and implement e-bike rebate programs. It outlines a five-step process: establishing a project team and goals, designing funding and incentive structures, partnering with bike shops, executing community outreach, and managing the program launch and follow-up. The guide emphasizes equity, suggesting income-tiered rebates and diverse application methods to increase accessibility for low- and moderate-income residents.
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Document type: Guide
Mitigating Landfill Methane Key Strategies and Policy Levers to Drive Emissions Reductions
This briefing by RMI outlines strategies and policy levers to reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in the United States. It proposes a two-pronged approach: improving the monitoring and control of existing waste and preventing new methane generation by diverting organic waste from landfills. The document advocates for stronger federal standards from the EPA to scale these reductions and protect adjacent communities.
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Document type: Briefing
The Electric School Bus Series: How Austin's School Board Resolution Created a Path for Cleaner Rides for Kids
Austin ISD passed a resolution in September 2022 to transition its entire school bus fleet to electric by 2035, with a goal of 100% electric purchases by 2030. The initiative aligns with Austin's city-wide 2040 net-zero goal and is supported by a $2.4 billion bond, though the district faces funding challenges because electric buses cost three to four times more than diesel models. The district has started a pilot with three electric buses arriving in fall 2023.
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Document type: Case study
Urban Land Use Reform
This report by RMI examines how reforming urban land use policies in the United States can mitigate climate change, increase housing supply, and reduce ecological harm by moving away from car-centric, single-family zoning.
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Document type: Report
Weathering Climate Disasters with Resilience Hubs
This guide by RMI describes resilience hubs as community-serving facilities designed to support vulnerable populations during and after extreme weather events. It outlines five foundational areas of support—power, communication, facilities, operations, and services—and provides six strategic lessons for cities implementing these hubs, emphasizing community partnership, energy efficiency, and the integration of solar and battery storage.
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Document type: Guide
Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the history, economic and environmental benefits, funding mechanisms, and legislative landscape of conservation corps in the United States, highlighting their role in climate action and workforce development.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Taking a Regional Approach to Electric Vehicle Readiness
This report by RMI analyzes the regional readiness of 60 prominent US cities for electric vehicle (EV) adoption, focusing on infrastructure beyond city centers to address 'range anxiety'. The analysis evaluates metropolitan area readiness, day-trip destination readiness, and airport readiness, highlighting that while some cities and regions (particularly in California) are well-prepared, significant gaps in DC fast-charger coverage persist along major highways in several states.
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Document type: Report
How a Loading Zone Can Facilitate Personal Mobility Services and Promote Safety
This case study describes a 45-day 'curb access' pilot conducted in spring 2018 by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the Austin Transportation Department (ATD). The project repurposed four metered parking spaces into a contiguous loading zone at the corner of West 6th Street and Nueces Street in Austin to evaluate if such zones could improve safety and facilitate the use of ride-hailing services like Uber, Lyft, and RideAustin, thereby encouraging a shift away from personal vehicle ownership.
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Document type: Case study
RMI and Uber Team Up to Expand Shared and Electric Mobility
This case study describes a partnership between the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the City of Austin, and Uber to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) within transportation network companies (TNCs). The initiative focused on understanding driver barriers through focus groups and implementing awareness campaigns to transition high-mileage drivers to zero-emission vehicles.
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Document type: Case study
Ride-Hailing Drivers Are Ideal Candidates for Electric Vehicles
This guide by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argues that ride-hailing drivers for transportation network companies (TNCs) are ideal candidates for electric vehicle (EV) adoption due to high vehicle utilization, which maximizes savings on fuel and maintenance and increases potential carbon offsets.
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Document type: Guide
FINDING VALUE IN THE ENERGY FUTURE
This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) explores how electric utilities can move beyond traditional bill assistance to collaborate with low-and moderate-income (LMI) customers. It identifies new business models leveraging distributed energy resources (DERs) to reduce energy burdens, improve health and environmental outcomes, and create grid value.
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Document type: Report
Plug-in electric vehicles
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute provides an overview of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It details the environmental and economic benefits of PEVs, the current state of the U.S. and global markets, charging infrastructure, battery technology trends, and government incentives.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Despite Stay, America’s Economy and Climate Need the Clean Power Plan
The World Resources Institute argues that the U.S. Supreme Court's temporary stay on the Clean Power Plan (CPP) should not deter climate action, asserting that the plan is legally sound and provides significant economic and public health benefits that outweigh its compliance costs.
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Document type: Statement
COMMUNITY ENERGY RESOURCE GUIDE
The Community Energy Resource Guide, published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in December 2015, provides a comprehensive roadmap for U.S. communities to develop energy action plans. It outlines a collaborative planning process, methods for analyzing energy landscapes, and specific tactics across the buildings, electricity, transportation, and industry sectors to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
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Document type: Guide
IMPROVING PERFORMANCE IN PUBLICLY-OWNED UTILITIES
This report by Energy Innovation outlines a three-step framework for improving the performance of publicly-owned utilities (POUs), including municipal utilities, public utility districts, and cooperatives. It emphasizes the use of performance-management practices, governance reforms, and financial restructuring to align utility operations with customer values and public policy priorities.
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Document type: Report
Interoperable Transit Data
This RMI report advocates for interoperable transit data (ITD) as the foundation for 'Mobility as a Service' (MaaS), a system designed to replace personally owned vehicles with on-demand, multimodal transport. It identifies barriers such as fragmented payment systems, inconsistent data licensing, and regulatory differences between public and private providers. The report proposes solutions including public-private partnerships, the development of new data standards, and pilot projects to demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits of reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips.
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Document type: Report
Capitol Hill Briefing Public Transit and the Knowledge Economy
This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute details the relationship between public transit and the growth of the knowledge economy, using Austin, Texas, as a primary case study to argue for the necessity of a new federal surface transportation authorization bill.
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Document type: Briefing