General
At COP21, 3 Signs of a Commitment to Energy Innovation
This morning, COP21—the UN’s annual international climate change conference—kicked off in Paris with a very encouraging announcement. On one hand 20 countries—from the developed to the developing world arm-in-arm—made a commitment to double their research and development spending in the energy solutions of the future. They have labeled it “Mission…
Why Energy Efficiency is the Least-Cost Climate Tool
An authoritative new study released earlier this week shows how energy efficiency can be a low-cost pathway to keeping global warming to the critical 2 degrees centigrade mark.
Corporations Set Renewable Energy Record, Surpass 2 GW in 2015
Today, more than 160 corporate executives are gathering at Bloomberg's New York City headquarters for a meeting of Rocky Mountain Institute's Business Renewables Center (BRC). The over-capacity, invitation-only event is the latest proof point of corporations' fast-growing interest in purchasing large amounts of renewable energy.
Yahoo’s Pursuit of Green Power: New Business Models Offer Companies High-Impact, Economic Alternatives
Yahoo is one of a small but growing group of large companies that have signed renewable energy contracts directly with wind and solar project developers. And, while this transaction will help Yahoo progress towards its sustainability targets, the transaction is also—importantly—expected to save the company money.
New DOE Definition of Zero-Energy Buildings is a Base Hit, Not a Home Run
The global market for zero-energy buildings is projected to achieve explosive growth by 2035. But what exactly is a zero-energy building? The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently released a standard definition of zero-energy buildings, campuses, portfolios, and communities. Did they get it right?