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The report examines four power procurement archetypes for green hydrogen—Behind-the-Meter (BTM), Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (vPPAs), Offsite Physical PPAs, and Hybrid systems—analyzing how each manages risks related to weather variability, logistic complexity, and grid volatility. It emphasizes that the cost of power is the primary driver of hydrogen production economics and highlights the challenges of maintaining hourly matching for tax credit compliance under the Inflation Reduction Act's 45V credit. To mitigate these risks, the report suggests solutions such as hydrogen-specific insurance, flexible offtake agreements, phased construction, and the development of spot hourly Energy Attribute Credit (EAC) markets.

The document outlines a comprehensive framework for local governments to scale the deployment of air-source and ground-source heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. It details a five-step methodology: building a diverse program team and setting goals, engaging and qualifying local contractors, designing affordable incentive and financing structures, executing community outreach, and managing program launch and impact tracking. The guide emphasizes equity, specifically targeting low-to-moderate income (LMI) and frontline communities, and leverages federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

The document outlines the role of supply-side policies in accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by influencing manufacturers to increase the production and sale of compliant vehicles. It highlights a broader analysis of ZEV policies in eight specific markets—Australia, Brazil, China, the European Union, India, Indonesia, the United States, and South Africa—to identify policy gaps and the link between policy design and the mobilization of financing.

The report identifies high costs as a primary barrier to the adoption of near-zero-carbon steel technology in China, leading to conservative investment decisions. To overcome these economic hurdles, it suggests a combination of policy instruments, such as green hydrogen subsidies and carbon markets, and market-based mechanisms, including green premiums and forward offtake agreements. The document provides a project-level economic model to analyze transition routes and offers six action recommendations to mobilize stakeholders for faster deployment.

Colorado faces increasing wildfires and rural economic challenges. The document argues that establishing a mass timber industry using small-diameter trees (9 inches or less) can mitigate fire risk, provide high-quality rural jobs, and reduce carbon emissions from the construction sector. Despite challenges like supply uncertainties in federally managed forests and limited infrastructure, the report suggests a two-phase approach: a 2–3 year 'Rightsize Now' phase to increase log supply and launch small-scale operations, followed by a 5–10 year 'Plan for Scale' phase to implement high-volume automated production of advanced wood products.

The report highlights the surge in data center electricity demand due to generative AI, projecting global consumption could reach 2,300 TWh by 2030. It identifies four primary barriers to decarbonization—infrastructure planning, energy efficiency, green electricity scaling, and policy incentives—and suggests solutions including optimized location, rigorous efficiency standards, and grid-friendly power behaviors.

The report identifies that while China leads the world in climate technology investment, startups face significant funding constraints due to underdeveloped credit systems, growth uncertainties, and external pressures such as geopolitical risks and pandemic-related economic impacts. To address these barriers, the document recommends the development of scientific evaluation models for carbon reduction and returns, the creation of communication platforms to reduce information barriers, and the innovation of financial products to mitigate risk and expand financing options.

The report examines the role of coal mine methane (CMM) recovery and utilization in China's energy transition, highlighting its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide economic value. It discusses the impact of government policies, such as the 2023 Methane Emissions Control Action Plan, and evaluates the maturity, costs, and investment needs of CMM technologies.

The report identifies four primary drivers of resource adequacy risk in the Western United States: load growth uncertainties, extreme weather and climate change, delays in planned resource builds, and slow transmission expansion. To mitigate these risks, it proposes ten specific options for regulators categorized into three strategies: improving planning practices, widening the suite of resource adequacy solutions, and reforming utility business models.

The Sherco coal plant in Minnesota transitioned to a clean energy hub by replacing retired capacity with 710 MW of solar and a 10 MW/1,000 MWh iron-air battery system. This transition was enabled by Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives, the use of a 'generator replacement' process to bypass interconnection queues, and early community and labor engagement. The project serves as a model for 'clean repowering,' which RMI estimates could deploy 250 GW of clean energy and save ratepayers $12 billion nationwide.

The document asserts that traditional grid modeling assumptions are outdated for grids integrating high levels of renewables and distributed energy resources. It identifies three critical model types—capacity expansion, production cost, and resource adequacy models—that require updated assumptions to ensure reliability and affordability. Furthermore, it emphasizes that technical modeling must be paired with an energy equity lens to account for human impacts, such as health and distributional equity, particularly for vulnerable communities.

RMI states its readiness to work with the new US administration and elected officials to support clean energy technologies, energy security, and manufacturing jobs, noting that cleantech investments are already driving growth across the United States.

RMI is implementing diverse decentralized energy solutions in Nigeria to address the fact that over 85 million people lack sustainable electricity. The organization has deployed interconnected minigrids in locations like Zawaciki, Abuja, and Nasarawa, and a community-centric 'Sharing the Power' model in Mokoloki where residents co-own the facility. To ensure economic viability, the Energizing Agriculture Programme (EAP) integrates solar power with agricultural machinery, such as electric mills and cold storage, across 17 communities. RMI also targets industrial emissions through commercial and industrial minigrids, which can reduce carbon pollution by approximately 33 million tons per year. Additionally, the Energy Transition Academy (ETA) provides technical training to utility professionals to scale these initiatives.

The document outlines a three-step approach for utilities to incorporate the DOE's Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program into resource planning: modeling portfolio-wide savings from low-interest financing, prioritizing 'clean repowering' at existing fossil sites, and optimizing transmission investments. It argues that failing to model these factors leads to suboptimal resource portfolios and missed savings. The brief provides technical guidance on calculating forward interest rates, managing compliance costs (such as NEPA and the Davis-Bacon Act), and leveraging the EIR's $250 billion lending authority to accelerate the clean energy transition while reducing costs for ratepayers.

The briefing outlines a three-part agenda for the next US administration to maintain the momentum of its green industrial strategy. It emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between initial investment and long-term economic stability by streamlining permitting, diversifying supply chains to reduce reliance on China, and ensuring that clean energy benefits reach low-income and legacy industrial communities. The author advocates for a 'private-sector-led, government-enabled' framework supported by strategic governance mechanisms to ensure the US remains a global leader in cleantech innovation and manufacturing.

The report analyzes the environmental impact of the global data-center boom, identifying systemic challenges such as energy infrastructure lags and temporal-spatial mismatches between green power and demand. It proposes a comprehensive transformation pathway involving optimized site selection, enhanced energy efficiency through new metrics beyond PUE, and the adoption of diverse green power procurement options. The document emphasizes the potential for data centers to act as flexible grid resources and calls for mandatory carbon disclosure and standardized accounting to drive the transition.

The document argues that Indian banks and NBFCs are in the early stages of climate action and face structural barriers. It proposes the use of integrated transition planning, drawing on 10 lessons from global banking experiences, to bridge the climate finance gap and maintain financial stability.

The Government of Bermuda has deployed 70 electric transit buses as of 2024, achieving nearly 100 percent electric daily operations and moving toward full fleet electrification by 2030. This transition was supported by technical research, robust procurement, and long-term infrastructure planning tailored to local needs. The success of the e-bus deployment has catalyzed broader decarbonization efforts in Bermuda, including the electrification of government fleet vehicles and the development of national electrification policies and battery disposal solutions.

The guide argues that US states are uniquely positioned to scale the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) industry by leveraging their specific geographies and regulatory authority. It outlines a framework for state leadership based on four core pillars: adopting approach-neutral and performance-based definitions of CDR, setting explicit removal targets aligned with carbon budgets, creating clear regulatory and permitting environments, and ensuring community-supported deployment through transparency and equity. The document emphasizes that CDR should complement, not replace, aggressive emissions reductions to avoid moral hazard.

The document outlines a four-step process for utility climate risk planning: identification, quantitative assessment, mitigation, and risk distribution. It emphasizes the need for utilities to move beyond siloed resilience plans by incorporating both physical risks (e.g., extreme weather) and transition risks (e.g., carbon taxes, policy changes) into core planning documents like Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs). The authors advocate for the use of high-resolution, long-term climate datasets (30+ years) to accurately model extreme events and argue that clean energy portfolios reduce financial volatility for residential customers compared to fossil-heavy portfolios. Finally, it provides actionable recommendations for regulators to mandate risk assessments, create financial incentives for transitioning away from fossil assets, and explore self-insurance funds to protect low- and middle-income customers from catastrophic costs.