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Thermal batteries can abate up to 99% of heat emissions in US chemical and refining plants by storing renewable electricity as heat in materials like graphite or bricks. These systems can provide heat up to 1800°C for reactions and distillation, with a levelized cost of heat between $20 and $87 per MWh. Integration involves assessing heating needs, retrofitting steam systems, and implementing automated charging based on electricity prices. While heat pumps are suitable for processes up to 200°C, thermal batteries address higher temperature needs. The guide advocates for policy reforms, including wholesale electricity rate access and permitting reform for non-adjacent parcels, to enhance the viability of industrial electrification.

RMI has launched the State CDR Atlas, a tool designed to help the 50 US states scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) by assessing their unique geographies, infrastructure, and regulatory landscapes. The Atlas evaluates states across eight CDR approach categories using two primary ratings: an Opportunity Rating based on natural resources and infrastructure, and an Enabling Policy Rating based on the current regulatory environment. Using Virginia as a case study, the document illustrates how the tool identifies specific gaps—such as Virginia's lack of government procurement programs for CDR—and provides guidance on Terrestrial Enhanced Weathering (TEW) as a specific CDR approach. The tool is intended as an orientation and prioritization resource rather than a final siting mechanism.

The briefing advocates for a coordinated approach to building decarbonization and resilience in the US, emphasizing that these goals are complementary. It specifically prioritizes 'passive measures'—such as weatherization and envelope retrofits—to manage peak electricity demand, improve energy affordability, and extend the 'hours of safety' for occupants during power outages, particularly for vulnerable populations.

The report examines four decarbonization pathways for the Houston region—electrification, energy efficiency, hydrogen utilization, and carbon capture and storage (CCS)—across three scenarios: business-as-usual, selective investment, and net-zero. In the net-zero scenario, the region could achieve net zero carbon emissions from industry while creating over 21,000 jobs annually through 2050.

The report outlines a roadmap for hydrogen developers to navigate the 45V tax credit requirements in the United States. It focuses on four 'pillars' of compliance: regionality, hourly matching, incrementality, and attribute tradeability. The document argues that while hourly matching of clean electricity is challenging, it can be achieved through a combination of advanced registries, bilateral hourly contracts, optimized electrolyzer sizing, and sophisticated real-time operational strategies. It emphasizes the role of Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) and suggests that the industry can leverage existing grid data and forecasting tools to prove compliance and manage the intermittency of renewable energy.

The study investigates the feasibility of a green shipping corridor for dry bulk trade between the US Gulf Coast and Japan, specifically evaluating the adoption of green methanol in dual-fuel bulk carriers by 2030. It examines cost drivers, opportunities to reduce cost premiums, and the impact of regulatory frameworks on deploying zero-emission technology.

India's power grid is facing increased strain from record-breaking heatwaves and power demand, as seen in May 2024 when nationwide demand hit 250 GW. While battery energy storage systems (BESS) costs in India have dropped 65 percent over the last two years, investment is hindered by market rules that only recognize 'energy only' dispatch strategies. The document asserts that if regulators recognize a 'full value stack'—including resource adequacy, ancillary services, and transmission and distribution (T+D) deferral—BESS profit margins could range from 24 to 70 percent. To unlock this market, the document recommends that the Forum of Regulators provide valuation guidance, state regulators incorporate BESS into long-term resource adequacy planning, and the Central Electricity Authority (CERC) increase transparency and access to ancillary service markets.

The document outlines how the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program, part of the US Department of Energy's Title XVII authority, provides low-cost, long-tenor debt financing to help oil and gas companies repurpose ceased operations or reduce emissions from active infrastructure. It details specific transition opportunities across the upstream, midstream, and downstream value chains, such as lithium extraction from brine, enhanced geothermal systems, and the conversion of refineries to sustainable aviation fuel production. The brief emphasizes that the current high-interest rate environment makes this government financing particularly attractive, though the opportunity is time-constrained as loan authority currently expires in September 2026.

The City of Ithaca collaborated with Cornell University and RMI to model 5,468 buildings using a combination of the Urban Building Energy Model (UBEM) and the Green Upgrade Calculator (GUC). The analysis found that combining air-source heat pumps with envelope improvements and rooftop solar significantly reduces operating costs and electricity demand. The study identifies residential homes in low-income communities and certain downtown commercial buildings as high-priority targets for cost-effective decarbonization.

The document argues that China's industrial sector, which accounts for approximately 60 percent of hydrogen consumption, faces challenges regarding supply stability and high costs. To resolve these, it introduces a "cluster development" model that aligns production and consumption through a "production-storage-transportation-utilization" system. The model provides techno-economic analysis and implementation methods for both co-located and geographically separated supply and demand scenarios to accelerate the transition to low/zero-carbon industrial solutions.

The report argues that achieving a net-zero building sector is critical for China's carbon neutrality, as the sector accounted for 32 percent of the country's CO2 emissions in 2022. It outlines four primary areas for decarbonization: operational emissions, embodied carbon, new growth models through technology and market mechanisms, and equity and inclusion in affordable and rural housing. The document emphasizes that the next 5–10 years are critical for accelerating the adoption of carbon-neutral technologies to decouple emissions from the continued growth of building floor space and energy demand.

The document argues that financing is the primary barrier to the adoption of zero-emission trucks (ZETs) in India because financiers perceive them as nascent asset classes with uncertain residual values. It proposes a framework to unlock investment across ZET manufacturing, purchase, charging infrastructure, and grid upgrades through a combination of diverse financial tools, risk-managing business practices, and strategic de-risking interventions.

Demand aggregation consolidates fragmented demand from multiple buyers into a single, larger signal to help suppliers overcome the high costs and risks associated with building low-emissions infrastructure. This process helps bridge the "green premium"—the price difference between conventional and low-emissions alternatives—by providing financiers with predictable, long-term cash flows through collective procurement and advance purchasing agreements. The document highlights the use of "book and claim" mechanisms to allow indirect procurement of environmental attributes when direct physical procurement is not possible. RMI and its partners are implementing this strategy through four specific initiatives: the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA), the Zero Emissions Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA), the Sustainable Steel Buyers Platform (SSBP), and a phased approach for low-emissions cement and concrete.

The document argues for a shift in steel production to reduce the sector's 11% contribution to global CO2 emissions, particularly as demand is projected to rise by 12% to 36% by 2050. It suggests 'green iron corridors'—where ironmaking occurs in areas with abundant iron ore and renewable energy, and steelmaking occurs in demand centers—to achieve cost and energy savings. The report estimates that restructuring half of primary steelmaking to use green iron could save over $25 billion annually for the top 10 importers, and fast-tracking corridors to the EU and Asia could abate approximately 30 million tons of CO2 annually by 2030.

This policy brief argues that the current reliance on a single 100-year metric for greenhouse gas emissions obscures the distinct warming impacts of methane and carbon dioxide. The author advocates for a "multi-basket" approach with separate targets and dual metrics to address both short-term and long-term climate risks, asserting that simultaneous mitigation of both pollutants is essential to meet global temperature targets and reduce climate overshoot.

A survey of 23 companies by RMI and the Mission Possible Partnership reveals that airlines and corporate customers are willing to pay a significant green premium for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and SAF certificates (SAFc). Airlines showed an average WTP of $6 per gallon, while corporate buyers averaged $300 per ton of CO2 abated. The study finds a preference for waste-based feedstocks and shorter contract durations. These findings suggest that SAF projects, particularly those using the HEFA pathway, could be bankable today by meeting the financial returns required by investors.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has introduced 'Direct Pay' (or elective pay), allowing tax-exempt entities and certain third-party financial organizations to receive cash back—between 30% and 70%—on clean energy project costs. This enables a model where a third party, such as the nonprofit RE-volv, pays upfront costs and leases the system to a recipient at a monthly rate lower than previous electricity costs. A 12kW project at the Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ in Compton, California, serves as an example, expecting to save over $180,000 in electricity costs over 20 years with no upfront payment. RMI's RISE Cohort is working to scale this model by providing technical assistance to local governments and financial institutions.

The document argues that tax-exempt entities—such as CDFIs, green banks, and cooperatives—can overcome financial barriers to low-income solar adoption by becoming third-party owners. This model utilizes the IRA's 'direct pay' mechanism, Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) capital, and bonus tax credits to reduce costs for LMI households, who often lack the tax liability to benefit from traditional residential credits.

The Energizing Agriculture Programme (EAP) in Nigeria demonstrated that switching to electric productive uses of energy (PUE) can reduce agribusiness energy costs by up to 82% and significantly lower the levelized cost of energy for minigrid developers. The report details the deployment of 269 pieces of equipment and provides strategic recommendations for governments, companies, developers, investors, and donors to scale integrated energy-agriculture solutions.

The OCI+ tool reveals that global oil and gas resources vary by up to five times in life-cycle emissions intensity. The document emphasizes that supply-side emissions from production, refining, and transport can rival end-use consumption, making the identification of high-emitting assets critical for short-term climate action. It highlights methane reduction as the highest priority, noting that methane accounts for over half of operational emissions and advocating for the use of a 20-year global warming potential (GWP20) to accurately assess climate risks.