General
A Transportation Success Story (Video)
RMI’s Project Get Ready is focused on preparing cities around the country for the arrival and growth of the electric vehicle (EV) industry. Watch Ben Holland, PGR project manager, explain more about the way PGR convenes everyone from government leaders to electrical contractors in cities around the country to tackle some of the thorny questions around EV infrastructure...
What Keeps Utilities Up at Night?
Within any given city, many well-established sectors must change to accommodate plug-ins, and diverse players must build a new system of connectivity in order to coordinate charging times, billing, consumer preferences, and other factors.
Putting the “Do” in “Think and Do Tank”
Your support can help drive a future powered by efficiency and renewables-- Rocky Mountain Institute’s annual Spring Appeal calls on those who share our vision of a new energy era based on energy efficiency. Your support is key to our work to drive the U.S. toward a secure and vibrant future free of fossil fuels. Now, your donation can be doubled thanks to a generous anonymous donor who has given RMI a $50,000 matching challenge.
Size Matters
Electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy advocates rejoice! The first mainstream EVs to hit dealerships across the U.S., the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, both received top safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. As the Associated Press reported: “While both the Leaf and Volt are classified as small cars, the institute said their heavy battery packs put their weight closer to large sedans. The Volt, for example, weighs 3,760 pounds, which is close to the weight of the Chevrolet Impala. The Leaf weighs 3,370 pounds, which is similar to a Nissan Altima midsize car. That extra mass helps protect their occupants, since heavier cars are less likely to be pushed around in a crash.” [emphasis added] But there’s a problem with this last thought: weight is conflated with size.
The Empire State Strikes Back
Q&A: Dana Schneider, VP, Sustainability Services Market Lead, Jones Lang LaSalle--In 2009, owners of one of New York City’s great architectural landmarks, the Empire State Building embarked on a renovation to reduce the skyscraper’s energy use by more than one-third by 2013. Part of an overall $500 million building makeover, the energy efficiency strategies, ranging from window replacements and insulation to electrical upgrades and tenant education, are bringing annual savings of more than $4 million, with just a three-year payback on the investment.