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The guide outlines five strategies for cities to leverage utility franchise agreement renegotiations: incorporating climate strategies, planning for equity, investing in resilient infrastructure, embracing collaboration, and understanding negotiation leverage. It highlights specific examples, such as San Diego's climate equity fund and Colorado's powerline undergrounding, to demonstrate how cities can align utility operations with community-wide clean energy goals.

RMI identifies three promising electric mobility modes—microtransit, carsharing, and micromobility—to address transportation gaps for low- to moderate-income communities in Connecticut. The briefing emphasizes that electric utilities are critical partners, capable of providing administrative support, capital for infrastructure and vehicles, and optimized electricity rate designs to ensure these services are affordable and accessible.

The report 'Electric Mobility for All' examines how to extend the benefits of electric vehicle (EV) adoption to low- to moderate-income (LMI) communities in Connecticut, who face barriers such as cost premiums and limited charging infrastructure despite being most affected by poor air quality.

RMI analysis indicates that while Georgia Power's plan significantly reduces coal reliance, it remains heavily dependent on gas and fails to align with a 1.5°C pathway. The utility's demand forecasts appear to underestimate the electricity needs required for the electrification of transportation and industry in Georgia.

The document asserts that EVs in the US already produce 60–68 percent fewer emissions than internal combustion engine vehicles. It highlights that 'smart charging'—specifically Automated Emissions Reduction (AER) technology—can further lower emissions by aligning charging with periods of cleaner energy. The text claims that if 70 million EVs are on the road, emissions-optimized charging would be equivalent to removing an additional 5.73 million internal combustion engine vehicles from the road.

The report examines the role of carbon-free energy in the PJM market and evaluates two proposed market designs—the Forward Clean Energy Market and the Integrated Clean Capacity Market—to improve the integration of clean resources. It argues that accurately accounting for the capacity value of clean energy reduces costs and emissions, and suggests that a regional, standardized clean energy procurement process could accelerate the retirement of fossil assets and the deployment of clean energy.

The document refutes the 'green inflation' myth, asserting that solar and wind are the cheapest forms of new electricity generation in 90% of the world. It contrasts the 'experience curves' of renewable technologies, where costs drop as deployment doubles, with the volatile commodity pricing of fossil fuels. While short-term supply chain disruptions and material shortages, such as polysilicon, have caused temporary price hikes, the long-term structural trend remains downward. The text concludes that transitioning to renewables will reduce global energy expenditures from 3.2% of GDP to less than 1.6% by mid-century.

The Mokoloki undergrid minigrid project in Ogun State, Nigeria, has demonstrated the feasibility of providing reliable solar power to communities that are connected to the national grid but suffer from unreliable supply. Through a tripartite partnership between the Mokoloki community, Nayo Tropical Technology, and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), the project has achieved 100% collection rates and doubled its revenue within 18 months. The system, comprising 100 kWp solar PV and battery storage, has significantly improved energy reliability compared to the previous utility service and is driving local economic growth by supporting productive uses of electricity for commercial customers.

RMI proposes a decentralized, open-source technical architecture to replace static, estimate-based carbon accounting with a blockchain-based system. The proposed system focuses on the exchange of primary emissions data at the product level, using 'digital twins' to track embodied carbon from source to sale. This approach aims to improve the veracity of Scope 3 emissions reporting and enable more informed procurement decisions to drive industrial decarbonization.

The document argues that current corporate ESG reporting and carbon accounting frameworks are inadequate for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrating meaningful change. It highlights that disclosures typically focus only on the company level, rarely reporting measured emissions data for individual assets or products, which leaves supply chain emissions poorly understood and climate risk exposure misrepresented. The brief advocates for new carbon accounting principles to standardize methods across diverse sectors within supply chains to empower brands and consumers.

The document highlights a potential investment need of INR 19.7 lakh crore ($US266 billion) for India's EV transition between 2020 and 2030, noting that retail lending remains slow due to perceived risks. It proposes that the Reserve Bank of India include EVs in its Priority Sector Lending (PSL) guidelines—which require banks to allocate 40 percent of credit to priority sectors—to institutionalize EV financing and provide buyers with interest rates and tenures comparable to internal combustion engine vehicles.

The briefing outlines five trends for climate-aligned finance in 2022: the substantiation of net-zero commitments through interim targets, the publication and assessment of credible transition plans, a shift toward real-economy impact over paper alignment, the adoption of forward-looking data and metrics, and the expansion of sectoral alignment agreements for high-emitting industries.

The memo argues that green hydrogen is essential for decarbonising sectors where electrification is not possible, specifically heavy industry and transportation. RMI identifies that while momentum exists, implementation gaps in funding and policy must be addressed to make the solution viable by 2030.

The Coalition on Materials Emissions Transparency (COMET) argues that current corporate GHG reporting, primarily based on the GHG Protocol, is insufficient for driving decarbonization because it relies on averages and corporate boundaries rather than actionable product-level data. To address this, COMET proposes shifting toward the use of primary data from direct suppliers, implementing fixed boundaries for comparability, and defining product boundaries that incentivize market-driven decarbonization. These principles aim to make Scope 3 emissions visible and traceable, facilitating a transition to zero-carbon production.

The report assesses the viability of proposed gas power plants in the US against 'clean energy portfolios'—combinations of solar, wind, storage, demand flexibility, and energy efficiency—noting that over 88 gigawatts of gas capacity were proposed in 2021 despite economic and policy shifts favoring clean alternatives.

The document argues that new investment in US gas-fired power plants is becoming uneconomic due to the rise of Clean Energy Portfolios (CEPs)—combinations of wind, solar, energy efficiency, demand response, and battery storage. As of late 2021, 88 GW of gas capacity was proposed, but over 50% of proposed new gas plants have been cancelled prior to construction in the last two years. The analysis finds that CEPs are a cheaper option in more than 80% of sites where gas plants are proposed for service by 2030, and at least 70 GW of proposed gas could be economically avoided, potentially saving $22 billion and 873 MMT of CO2. The report highlights significant stranded cost risks, noting that in a central analysis case, 40% of proposed combined cycle gas plants would cost more to operate than a new CEP costs to build within 10 years.

The report finds that most of the 88+ GW of proposed US gas power plants are economically uncompetitive compared to Clean Energy Portfolios (CEPs), which combine wind, solar, storage, energy efficiency, and demand flexibility. At least 70 GW of proposed gas capacity could be avoided using CEPs, potentially saving $22 billion and reducing CO2 emissions by 873 million metric tons over 20 years. The analysis highlights six key headwinds—including declining renewable costs, rising gas prices, and public health impacts—that increase the risk of project cancellations or stranded assets. Specifically, in a central analysis case, 40% of proposed combined cycle (CC) plants would cost more to operate than a new CEP would cost to build within 10 years, a figure that could rise to 80-90% under certain economic scenarios. The report also notes that CEPs create more jobs and avoid significant health costs, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color.

India's buildings sector is a major source of CO2 emissions, with indirect 'embodied carbon' (EC) from material procurement and construction nearly tripling between 2000 and 2017. With India's total building space projected to more than double and its urbanization rate expected to reach 40% by 2030–31, the demand for energy-intensive materials like steel, cement, and bricks is set to rise sharply. The document highlights that while operational emissions are being addressed, EC emissions risk locking in high energy use for decades. It advocates for a whole-building life-cycle assessment approach and a national roadmap to transition toward low-carbon materials, suggesting that India could lead other developing economies in compatible economic expansion and emissions reduction.

Montserrat has reached 50 percent renewable energy installed capacity through the installation of a 750 kW solar system and 1 MWh battery storage, which powers 300 households. The project, supported by RMI, focused on hurricane resilience—designing for 180 mph wind speeds—and equity, as the utility-owned facility allows diesel savings to be shared among all customers via reduced fuel surcharges. While the island aims for 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030, further progress is constrained by the size of the economy and requires continued grant funding.

The policy brief advocates for a specific amendment to the Build Back Better Act regarding tax normalization rules for clean energy infrastructure. While praising the bill's inclusion of direct pay and the option for solar developers to use the production tax credit (PTC), RMI argues that the investment tax credit (ITC) for storage and transmission is undermined by normalization requirements. These rules force utilities to retain some financial benefits for shareholders rather than passing them to customers. RMI estimates that allowing an opt-out from normalization would save approximately $150 million for every billion dollars spent on such infrastructure, potentially reducing carbon emissions by 50 million metric tons annually and saving customers over $1 billion per year by 2030.