Search Climate Insights Directory

The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Electricity is a guide by RMI that outlines strategies for cities to transition to carbon-free renewable energy. It emphasizes a two-step process: committing to 100 percent renewable energy targets and implementing comprehensive action plans. The document details four specific actions: upgrading to smart LED streetlighting, creating electric districts by removing fossil-fuel infrastructure, installing municipal solar PV, and securing renewable energy supplies through mechanisms like power purchase agreements.

This report by Energy Innovation debunks four common myths regarding the clean energy transition, arguing that decarbonizing the electricity sector is possible without sacrificing reliability or affordability. The authors contend that grid variability, overgeneration, high costs, and the role of natural gas are often misunderstood or based on outdated data, and that demand-side management, regional trading, and energy efficiency are key drivers of a low-carbon future.

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.