Search Climate Insights Directory
208 results
Getting Electric Truck Chargers Online Faster
This report by RMI examines how flexible service connections (FSCs) can accelerate the deployment of electric truck charging infrastructure by allowing fleets to connect to the grid faster in exchange for limiting power draw during peak hours. Using modeling of utility feeder data from PG&E and National Grid, the report demonstrates that FSCs can significantly increase charging capacity and reduce the need for immediate, costly grid upgrades.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
The Geothermal Supply Chain Is America’s to Gain — or Lose
This report by RMI argues that the United States is well-positioned to lead the next-generation geothermal supply chain by leveraging existing oil and gas expertise, but warns that targeted policy and research are required to avoid bottlenecks and capture economic benefits.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Clearing the Air on Reclaimed Refrigerant
This executive summary by RMI evaluates the performance of reclaimed R-410A refrigerant compared to virgin refrigerant in HVAC systems. The report argues that scaling the recovery and reclamation of refrigerants from retired equipment is essential to bridge the supply-demand gap created by the U.S. HFC phasedown under the AIM Act, demonstrating that reclaimed refrigerants meeting AHRI 700 standards provide performance parity with virgin supply.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Executive summary
5 Things We Learned from Analyzing More than 200 Utility Incentives
This fact sheet by RMI analyzes data from over 200 performance incentive mechanisms (PIMs) in the United States to identify trends in how public utility commissions (PUCs) use these tools to drive priorities such as decarbonization, equity, and affordability.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Electrification 101: Enabling Truck Charging with Flexible Service Connections - RMI
This briefing by RMI explains how 'flexible service connections' can accelerate the deployment of electric truck charging infrastructure by allowing fleets to access underutilized grid capacity without waiting for multi-year utility upgrades.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Service Line NPAs: Unlocking Savings and Driving Electrification
This policy brief by RMI proposes a framework for service line non-pipeline alternatives (NPAs) to reduce the high costs of replacing aging gas service lines in the United States. While most NPAs focus on larger gas mains, RMI suggests that targeting the smaller lines connecting buildings to the system can save ratepayers money and accelerate electrification by providing financial incentives for customers to disconnect from the gas grid.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Policy brief
How to Leverage Cost Allocation to Enable Rapid, Affordable, and Equitable Electrification
This report by RMI examines how public utility commissions in Minnesota, Massachusetts, and New York use different cost allocation strategies during proactive distribution planning to balance grid investment needs with customer affordability during the electrification of buildings and transportation.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Establishing Measures to Achieve Near-Zero Methane Waste from Global Oil and Gas Assets
This briefing by RMI argues for the adoption of two complementary methane intensity metrics—gas loss rate and volumetric methane intensity—to accurately track and reduce methane waste across the diverse global oil and gas supply chain. It highlights the variability of emissions across different asset types and countries and suggests that demand-side policies in major markets could accelerate the transition to low-leakage production.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
How Low-Income Customer Programs Lower Energy Costs for Everyone
This briefing by RMI argues that affordability programs for low-income utility customers reduce system-wide energy costs by lowering utility debt and collection expenses, which are otherwise passed on to all ratepayers.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Solidarity Letter Supporting NY Trees Bill
A solidarity letter from 154 civil society and Indigenous Peoples organizations across 28 countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa urging New York Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the TREES Act (Bill # A.9711/S.8898) into law to protect tropical forests.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
Cutting These Subsidies Could Save States Millions of Dollars
This RMI fact sheet examines the practice of gas line extension allowances—subsidies where existing customers fund the cost of connecting new buildings to the natural gas system—and the movement among US states to phase them out to lower utility bills and support electrification.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
How PIM Evaluation Can Level Up
This policy brief by RMI provides four recommendations for Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) to improve the evaluation of Performance Incentive Mechanisms (PIMs). The document emphasizes the need for recurring evaluations, transparency through public dashboards, portfolio-wide assessments to avoid duplication, and the use of design guidelines to measure net benefits to customers.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Policy brief
Critical Minerals and the U.S. Clean Energy Transition
This briefing by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the critical mineral supply chain and the United States' efforts to secure domestic sources for its clean energy transition. It details the stages of the supply chain, the U.S.'s high reliance on imports, the environmental and social impacts of mining, and the legislative and executive actions taken to promote onshoring and secondary recovery.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Electric Vehicles Are on the Road to Mass Adoption
This report by RMI analyzes the global trajectory of electric vehicle (EV) adoption, noting that many markets have passed critical tipping points. It highlights that in the United States, the total cost of ownership for light-duty EVs is now lower than for gas-powered cars, while medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) electric trucks are trending toward cost parity with diesel. The document also discusses the role of battery recycling in potentially eliminating the need for additional mining by 2040.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Lower Bills, Cleaner Air: Heat Pump Benefits for Homes Relying on Delivered Fuels
This briefing by RMI outlines the economic, health, and environmental benefits of transitioning over 10 million US homes that rely on delivered fuels (oil and propane) to electric heat pumps. It provides data on potential energy savings, carbon pollution reduction, and recommends specific policy interventions and outreach strategies to accelerate this transition.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
EV Loads Are Coming — Here’s How They’ll Affect the Grid
RMI describes the use of its GridUp tool to forecast electric vehicle (EV) load growth and its impact on distribution systems, specifically focusing on a case study of National Grid and Consolidated Edison in New York State.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Reforming Energy Efficiency Programs to Increase Heat Pump Adoption
This report by RMI provides best practices for reforming energy efficiency incentive programs to accelerate the adoption of heat pumps. It argues that current programs are often too complex, deterring participation—particularly among low-to-moderate income (LMI) households—and recommends streamlining applications, aligning equipment specifications, and tailoring incentives to local climates to better support decarbonization goals.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Getting Alternative Transmission Technologies to Scale
This report by RMI examines the potential of advanced transmission technologies (ATTs)—comprising grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) and advanced conductors—to expand electricity grid capacity and reliability. While pilot projects in the United States have demonstrated success in increasing capacity and reducing costs, the report identifies significant barriers to scaling these solutions, including risk aversion, financial disincentives, and a failure to integrate ATTs into long-term grid planning. RMI suggests that large corporate energy users can accelerate adoption through policy advocacy and by facilitating coordination between utilities across different service territories.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Green Fertilizer Markets and Innovation
This report by RMI examines the evolution and current state of the United States fertilizer market, focusing on the transition from carbon-intensive ammonia production to low-carbon alternatives. It details various technological pathways for green and blue ammonia, compares the properties of nitrogen-based fertilizers, and identifies systemic barriers to the adoption of sustainable production methods. The document also outlines state and national incentives in the U.S. designed to support the deployment of green fertilizer infrastructure.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
FEDERAL CLEAN ENERGY TAX CREDITS MAKE ENERGY MORE AFFORDABLE – A META-ANALYSIS
This executive summary presents a meta-analysis of research from nonpartisan groups, universities, and government agencies regarding the impact of federal technology-neutral electricity tax credits (§45Y and §48E) on consumerSS. United States household energy bills. The document argues that these credits lower electricity costs by reducing the investment costs for wind, solar, battery, nuclear, and geothermal projects, with utilities passing these savings to consumers. It warns that repealing these credits would increase energy bills for households and businesses, particularly as electricity demand grows due to factors such as data center expansion.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Executive summary