Annually, trucks in the United States move 10 billion tons of goods over 300 billion miles. This travel emits more than 400 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent — 23 percent of the US transportation sector’s carbon footprint. With this sizeable contribution to emissions, electrifying medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles will … [continued]
Solar and battery storage systems provide energy access on and off the grid to ensure reliable electricity flows even during critical disruptions. Roseau Valley, Dominica — The Island of Dominica came one step closer toward its goal of becoming a fully climate-resilient nation with two new solar microgrids. The Dominica … [continued]
RMI’s Smarter Mobility Options for Decarbonization, Equity, and Safety (Smarter MODES) Calculator helps decision makers visualize the pollution reduction, cost cutting, and life-saving potential of expanded transportation choices that enable efficient, convenient, and car-free trips. State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are positioned to significantly reduce transportation pollution, not just with their own … [continued]
Advancing Policies and Infrastructure to Support Near-Zero-Emissions Steel Production in the Great Lakes Region. The Great Lakes region, spanning from Minnesota to Pennsylvania, is a steel manufacturing powerhouse, accounting for 60% of all steel production capacity in the United States and 100% of coal-based steel production. It is also a … [continued]
A new RMI tool can enable charging and grid development that reflects the needs of communities, ensuring that everyone reaps the benefits of electric vehicles. The Electrification 101 series explores the challenges and opportunities that a rapidly electrifying transportation sector presents for the power grid, offering solutions to support proactive … [continued]
PJM’s proposed long-term regional transmission planning marks a new way forward. How much it will deliver is still uncertain. It may be a new calendar year, but the US grid is facing many of the same challenges it did in 2023, including lengthy interconnection queue delays, a lag in transmission buildout, and accelerating fossil retirements. … [continued]
Unprecedented new and expanded federal programs have fundamentally shifted the landscape of what’s economically and politically feasible for state policymakers, creating a massive opportunity for states to unlock wide-ranging benefits and attract billions in federal funds and private investment for their residents and businesses. Today, there are more reasons than … [continued]
The unstoppable rise of batteries is leading to a domino effect that puts half of global fossil fuel demand at risk. Battery demand is growing exponentially, driven by a domino effect of adoption that cascades from country to country and from sector to sector. This battery domino effect is set … [continued]
We provide a glossary for a variety of terms you may encounter when reading about energy and climate change. While we at RMI try to write in an accessible way, many of us are scientists and engineers, and occasionally (or more often “frequently”) a technical term may slip into our … [continued]
RMI’s new PIMs database helps you find regulatory tools to meet the demands of a 21st-century grid. Utilities, regulators, and advocates alike are grappling with the evolving needs of a 21st-century grid: renewables face prolonged delays in coming online, jeopardizing state, community and corporate climate goals and escalating costs. The increasing frequency … [continued]
