Spring 2023
Impact Report
Accelerating the pace of change
RMI’s vision of a clean energy future commits us to THINK bigger, DO boldly, and SCALE globally.
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Think
Using our deep analysis to understand the landscape of energy issues and test what might be possible.
Making green hydrogen cost-competitive with today’s fuels
Thoughtful implementation of an Inflation Reduction Act $3 per kilogram tax credit for low-emission hydrogen production will cut the cost of US-made green hydrogen to $1 per kilogram or less. This will accelerate critical technology and boost a clean hydrogen economy while slashing emissions from heavy industry.
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3 recommendations for updating emissions metrics
Carbon dioxide equivalent is often used to report emissions, but this measurement discounts the opportunity to mitigate other pollutants like methane, which have different potencies and lifetimes in our atmosphere. Alternative measurements can help cut climate impacts now and later.
6 key steps to decarbonize steel
Emissions from India’s steel sector are estimated to grow by 200 percent by 2050. Decarbonizing steel is essential for India to meet its climate mitigation goals and economic ambitions. In a new report, we propose six objectives for realizing a low-carbon steel economy.
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Piloting our novel solutions to prove they are feasible and economical.
Catalyzing the most overlooked domestic energy resource
A new RMI-led coalition, including GM, Ford, Google, and solar energy producers, is working to change the policies, regulations, and market rules needed to scale virtual power plants (VPPs). VPPs are networks of energy resources like solar panels and batteries that can serve an electricity grid during high demand.
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Accelerated EV charging for multi-unit dwellings
As a part of the White House EV Acceleration Challenge, RMI will launch multi-family charging accelerator pilots in three states on the way to scaling these nationwide in 2024.
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Two-thirds of oil and gas’s methane footprint, quantified
RMI’s cutting-edge interactive tool — the Oil Climate Index plus Gas (OCI+) — reveals the size, scope, and nature of the methane problem by quantifying and comparing greenhouse gas emissions from over two-thirds of the world’s oil and gas supplies.
Scale
Working in global markets to scale proven solutions and address the climate challenge.
Climate policy options for 48 states now publicly available
RMI and Energy Innovation have revamped the Energy Policy Simulator with the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies. The tool is an open-source model for estimating the environmental, economic, and human health impacts of hundreds of climate and energy policies.
Equitable, climate-friendly transportation for 15 communities
The US Department of Transportation has awarded Thriving Communities Program funding to an RMI-led consortium. The funding will provide technical assistance and capacity building to 15 communities to shift away from car-centric infrastructure investment and create transportation systems that are more equitable, efficient, and climate-friendly.
Impact Spotlight
Strengthening the energy transition’s most valuable resources: people
“This was an excellent opportunity for me to learn how we can best accelerate energy transition projects in the region.”
— Bermuda Aran McKittrick, Energy Transition Academy fellow and research and development officer at the Department of Energy
Aran was one of 20 experienced energy professionals from 12 countries across the Caribbean who attended RMI’s hugely successful Energy Transition Academy Fellowship Summit in Bermuda last month alongside RMI staff, local energy leaders, and several RMI partners and donors.
The summit was the culmination of a six-month fellowship program. Since September, fellows have met biweekly to learn about key topics for the energy transition, like project development and management, de-risking and procurement, and technologies like battery storage. In Bermuda, fellows presented capstone projects; met with local energy leaders like the deputy premier and minister of home affairs; and visited renewable energy projects in the area, including Bermuda’s airport solar array.
The summit also created space for the fellows to build the community of support they’ll need as they advance the energy transition over the next several years.
Developing clean energy in the Caribbean is difficult. Getting materials is challenging and expensive. Land is limited. Government support can vary. Building a growing network of peers who are learning and tackling these challenges together is indispensable.
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Yevrah with his faithful golden retriever, Breeze.
Friends say Yevrah Ornstein was “a generous man” who supported a number of charities throughout his life. When Ornstein passed away in 2021, he left a charitable legacy with gifts to environmental, animal welfare, and children’s organizations. In February 2023, RMI was notified of a significant gift from Ornstein’s estate.
“Alongside my passion for environmental issues [was] my always-present reverence for education — be it educating people about the climate crisis [or] protecting what we were endowed with by being stewards of the natural environment.”
—RMI legacy donor Yevrah Ornstein
Addressing climate change will be the defining global issue of this century and requires both long-term vision and funding. We thank Yevrah for his lasting investment in our critical work.
Learn more about planned giving.Stories of Hope, Applied
From its earliest days, RMI has succeeded by blending a unique mix of optimism for solutions with rigor around how to deploy them. As climate change accelerates, even greater challenges remain. With our staff, partners, and communities, RMI is racing to scale solutions. In a new section of our website, we have gathered some of our most hope-inspiring stories and successes from around the world.