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982 documents from RMI
We Need to Enhance Property Assessed Clean Energy Instead of Bringing It to a Standstill
RMI opposes the Protecting Americans from Credit Exploitation bill, arguing that regulating Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) as a mortgage product would undermine its unique structure as a property-attached assessment. RMI advocates for national consumer protection standards tailored to the nature of PACE, citing California's existing regulatory framework as a successful model for balancing consumer protection with the promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits.
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Document type: Statement
Rate-Design Best Practices for Public Electric-Vehicle Chargers
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.
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Document type: Policy brief
Shifting Currents - RMI
This briefing by RMI describes the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) as an attractive market for corporate buyers of renewable energy due to its strong wind resources, market improvements, and a robust pipeline of planned wind capacity.
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Document type: Briefing
Why We Still Need To Discuss Grid Defection
This statement by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) defends its 2014 research on 'grid defection'—the economic viability of customers disconnecting from utilities in favor of on-site solar and battery systems—against interpretations of a subsequent study by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). RMI argues that while full grid defection may currently only be economical in Hawaii, the downward trajectory of distributed energy resource (DER) costs creates a systemic risk of stranded utility assets and empowers customers to influence the pace of decarbonization and grid investment.
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Document type: Statement
THE STATUS AND PROMISE OF ADVANCED M&V
This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) examines "M&V 2.0," or advanced measurement and verification of energy efficiency savings. It defines M&V 2.0 as the combination of automated analytics and increased data granularity (such as hourly interval data) to provide near-real-time savings estimates. The document outlines the benefits for various stakeholders, the current landscape of available tools, the challenges regarding data access and standardization, and the necessary steps for the industry to fully realize the potential of these advanced methods.
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Document type: Report
EVGO FLEET AND TARIFF ANALYSIS PHASE 1: CALIFORNIA
This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes the electricity costs for EVgo's network of 230 direct current fast chargers (DCFC) in California. It identifies high utility demand charges as a primary barrier to the profitability of public DCFC operators and evaluates how proposed EV-specific tariffs from Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) could reduce these costs.
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Document type: Report
HOW TO SCALE HOME ENERGY FINANCING PRODUCTS
This briefing by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes the landscape of home energy financing in the United States, identifying barriers to scaling both traditional and nontraditional lending products. It argues that the ease of origination and the timing of home improvements are more significant drivers of consumer choice than interest rates or loan terms.
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Document type: Briefing
Applying Hope in Today’s Tumultuous Times
A statement from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) advocating for 'applied hope' in the face of political uncertainty regarding the energy transition and climate science, emphasizing the global and commercial momentum of sustainable energy.
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Document type: Statement
REI Takes Its Stewardship of the Outdoors to the Next Level: A Net-Zero-Energy Distribution Center
This case study describes the development of a 400,000-square-foot net-zero-energy distribution center for the retailer REI in Goodyear, Arizona. The facility is the only distribution center in the U.S. to achieve both LEED Platinum certification and net-zero energy status, demonstrating that high-performance sustainability and business efficiency can coexist in large-scale logistics infrastructure.
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Document type: Case study
FINANCING COMMUNITY-SCALE SOLAR
This RMI report outlines the investment potential and financing frameworks for community-scale solar (CSS) in the United States, estimating a market opportunity of up to $16.3 billion by 2020. It details the benefits of CSS—such as lower costs and flexible customer arrangements—while analyzing various finance structures, including tax equity, debt, and innovative tools like New Markets Tax Credits. The document provides a risk management framework to address customer acquisition, subscription volatility, and regulatory uncertainty, aiming to help developers and investors standardize models to accelerate market growth.
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Document type: Report
Eight Areas of Electricity Innovation to Watch in 2017
This briefing from RMI outlines eight priority areas for electricity innovation in 2017, based on a survey of the Electricity Innovation Lab (eLab) network. The document focuses on the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), the evolution of utility business models, and the need for improved customer engagement to transform the U.S. electricity system.
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Document type: Briefing
Test-driving Mobility’s Future in Boulder, Colorado
This case study describes the 'Door to Downtown' (d2d) mobility services pilot in Boulder, Colorado, which provided discounted rideshare and taxi trips to downtown to test the price elasticity of demand for mobility as a service (MaaS) relative to personal vehicle ownership.
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Document type: Case study
Getting to Zero in Menlo Park
This case study describes the efforts of the City of Menlo Park and the nonprofit Menlo Spark to achieve a zero-carbon future by 2025. It details a comprehensive approach to the built environment, including updated zoning and general plans that mandate renewable energy for all energy uses, sustainable building standards, and strategies to reduce vehicle miles traveled in a car-centric suburb.
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Document type: Case study
Greening the Pot Industry
This RMI briefing discusses the significant electricity demand generated by the legal marijuana industry in the United States and proposes strategies for utilities and regulators to manage this load. It suggests that energy efficiency investments, on-site renewables, and time-varying rates to shift consumption to periods of low net load can help integrate renewable energy and reduce operating costs for growers.
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Document type: Briefing
A Rural Electric Cooperative Sets a 100% Renewables Target
This case study describes how the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) in northern New Mexico established a voluntary goal to meet 100 percent of its summer peak electricity demand with solar power by 2023.
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Document type: Case study
Pathways to 1.5°C
RMI's briefing outlines a market-driven pathway to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C by the end of the century. The analysis suggests that a nearly 100 percent renewable energy system is feasible by the mid-2050s if the adoption of clean energy follows the disruptive S-curve patterns seen in previous industrial revolutions, such as the rise of the automobile.
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Document type: Briefing
A CONSORTIUM APPROACH TO TRANSIT DATA INTEROPERABILITY
This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) examines the barriers to transit data interoperability in the United States and proposes a multistakeholder consortium to develop industry-wide data standards. The authors argue that interoperable data is essential for 'mobility as a service' (MaaS), which allows users to seamlessly combine various transportation modes. The report identifies significant market potential for improved data sharing and provides a detailed set of minimum data requirements for transportation service providers (TSPs) to enable a complete multimodal user experience.
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Document type: Report
TRANSFORMATION TO ZERO SUMMIT PRELIMINARY REPORT-OUT
This preliminary report-out documents the outcomes of the Transformation to Zero Summit held on October 15, 2016. Convened by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), New Buildings Institute (NBI), and Architecture 2030, the summit aimed to establish a roadmap for achieving a zero carbon built environment by 2050 through industry collaboration, policy levers, and investment in building efficiency and renewable energy.
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Document type: Report
Combating Climate Change by Measuring Carbon Emissions Correctly
This briefing by RMI, authored by WattTime co-founder Gavin McCormick, argues that managing climate change requires shifting from average to marginal carbon emissions measurements for electricity. The author explains that because the grid's marginal resource changes every 5 to 15 minutes, timing and locating energy use and generation based on real-time marginal data can significantly reduce CO2 emissions without requiring new infrastructure investments.
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Document type: Briefing
Doubling Down on the Market-Based Transformation
A statement from RMI asserting that the market-based transition to energy efficiency and renewables will continue despite political uncertainty in the United States following the 2016 election.
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Document type: Statement