General
Spatial and Temporal Interactions of Wind and Solar in the Next Generation Utility: Expanded Analysis
The “next generation” electric utility must incorporate variable renewable resources, including wind and solar, in much larger quantities than conventionally thought possible. While resource variability presents a challenge, it should be possible to reduce and manage that variability by geographically distributing renewables, combining them with different renewables, and having more…
Forget Nuclear
This nontechnical summary article compares the cost, climate protection potential, reliability, financial risk, market success, deployment speed, and energy contribution of new nuclear power with those of its low- or no-carbon competitors. It explains why soaring taxpayer subsidies aren’t attracting investors. Capitalists instead favor climate-protecting competitors with less cost, construction…
Intermittent Renewables in the Next-Generation Utility
Advances in digital communications and renewable energy technologies are poised to facilitate a transition to a “next-generation utility” that fully integrates both supply- and demand-side resources in a way that can enable significantly larger penetrations of intermittent renewable energy technologies than conventionally thought possible. However, as the penetration of intermittent…
Port Innovation Workshop Final Report
RMI worked with the Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) to develop integrative solutions to reduce the emissions and energy use throughout port operations. This included cargo arriving in port on ships, cargo handling at the terminal, and cargo leaving the port via…
New Frontiers in Utility Valuation of Renewable Resources
In this report, Rocky Mountain Institute explores the underlying theory and practical methodologies for the valuation of renewable resources. We present the theoretical basis first to acquaint thereader with the underlying rationale for the approach to valuing these resources. We then present the practical methodologies that can be used to…