Search Climate Insights Directory

RMI analysis indicates that flexible service connections—agreements where charging sites curtail load during peak hours—can significantly increase the number of electric trucks the grid can support without costly infrastructure upgrades. Focusing on PG&E's territory in Northern California, the report finds that shifting just 1 megawatt of load can allow the majority of feeders to support 10 additional heavy-duty trucks.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics argues that nature and ecosystem services provide immense economic value, often exceeding the gains from their exploitation, and that the costs of biodiversity loss pose systemic risks to global GDP and financial stability.

This guide by RMI provides strategic advice for municipalities to renegotiate franchise agreements with electric and gas utilities to advance climate, equity, and resilience goals. It emphasizes moving beyond narrow legal scopes to incorporate specific climate actions, equitable funding, and infrastructure resilience, while highlighting the importance of overcoming informational asymmetries during negotiations.

This policy brief by RMI argues that traditional utility demand charges are a significant barrier to the viability of public direct current fast charger (DCFC) networks. Based on an analysis of EVgo stations in California, the document recommends shifting cost recovery from demand-based charges to time-varying volumetric rates to support the societal objective of vehicle electrification.

This teaching note provides a framework for analyzing a case study involving Western Oil & Gas, a Fortune 50 company that considered a $2 million capital improvement project to install energy-efficient motor systems at its Northern California refinery in May 1997. The document guides instructors through the financial, strategic, and organizational complexities of energy efficiency projects, specifically comparing internal financing, capital leasing, and performance-based financing.