RMI Outlet
Office of the Chief Scientist
The Economics of a U.S. Civilian Nuclear Phase-out
In the United States, which trades three-fifths of its electricity in competitive markets, the prohibitive capital cost of new nuclear power plants ensures that only a handful will be built. Nonetheless, with 40-year licenses being extended to 60 years, the 104 existing reactors’ relatively low generating costs are widely expected…
A Farewell to Fossil Fuels: Answering the Energy Challenge
Green Footstep is an online assessment tool for reducing carbon emissions from building construction projects and is publicly available at greenfootstep.org. The Green Footstep tool guides the user through the process of life cycle carbon assessment, and then reveals how users can theoretically reduce the net carbon emissions. Some description…
Reinventing Fire in Southern California: Distributed Resources and the San Onofre Outage
The prolonged shut-down of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in Southern California could mark an important turning point for the region’s electricity system. Distributed and demand-side resources offer a portfolio of solutions to help fill the near-term supply gap, while also advancing California’s long-term goals of reducing greenhouse…
Comment on “Opportunities and Challenges for a Sustainable Energy Future” on Nature.com
This comment was posted on Nature.com in response to “Opportunities and challenges for a sustainable energy future” by Steven Chu and Arun Mujumdar. In it, Amory Lovins argues that integrating the Department of Energy’s technological solutions with innovative design, strategy, and public policy could solve many energy problems. The original…
Currents Spotlight on Rocky Mountain Institute
In this interview in Currents, the Navy’s energy and environmental magazine, Amory Lovins shares his ideas for an enduring and resilient Department of Defense.