RMI Outlet
Plug Into New Ideas
Why Transformation of the U.S. Electricity System is Critical, and How to Approach That Change
By most accounts, the U.S. is not on track to achieve the greenhouse gas reductions scientists and other experts say are needed to mitigate climate change, abate the frequency and severity of super-storms like Sandy, and protect our populated, shrinking coast lines. A critical lever for addressing the United States’ contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is transformation of the electricity sector.
Revisiting Building Portfolio Energy Strategy
Commercial buildings consume 46 percent of all building energy in the United States. Most of those buildings—potentially as many as 70–80 percent—are owned as part of a larger portfolio of buildings and are managed by a central entity.
Advanced, Non-Food Biofuels Come of Age
After a decade of false starts, finally, light at the end of the tunnel.
Car & (No) Driver
With the evolution of vehicle automation, connectedness, and autonomy, do we know where we’re going with no one behind the wheel?
If you build it, will they charge?
This is another installment of Drivers of Change, a column from Verge and Rocky Mountain Institute focused on the intersection of cities, transportation, and innovative technologies. In the more than two years since Nissan sold its first Leaf in the U.S., there’s been a growing sentiment that some of us fell for a flawed assumption: that building a robust public “fueling” network of charging stations is the key to a successful electric vehicle (EV) market.