RMI

Utilities in the United States are investing more in carbon-free generation than fossil-fueled facilities, according to the latest update of RMI's Utility Transition Hub. By Jon Rea, Katie Ebinger, and Joe Daniel RMI’s Utility Transition Hub has been tracking the US energy transition since 2021. It tracks utilities’ emissions, plant additions, and plant retirements.

At a time when rising emissions call for rapid innovation in a range of sectors, AMCs can help signal to producers that buyers are ready once the technology is. Innovation often takes two things: someone to create the innovative product, and someone to pay for it. Where that can become complicated is in the case of new technologies, especially ones so new that they don’t yet have a market ready to pay.

Independent research. Real-world solutions. Supported by donors. RMI can pursue the highest-impact climate and energy solutions because we’re supported by people who believe change is possible. Every gift helps advance the work needed to make clean energy the default choice worldwide. For other ways to give to RMI, including checks or gifts of stock, please visit Other Ways to Give.

Many people know the feeling: a product purchased on trial turns into yet another subscription, an annual membership you no longer use auto-renews, or yet another laundry detergent refill arrives on automatic delivery because you forgot to pause the order. These charges may be small on their own, but many small charges can quietly add up to become a drag on the household budget.

From America to Africa and beyond, clean energy is helping communities strengthen energy security, expand opportunities, and reduce reliance on imported fuels. The 4th of July is approaching and, for those in the United States, the holiday means parades, picnics, and fireworks to commemorate the nation’s founding. As the United States celebrates its independence, we at RMI are celebrating energy independence everywhere.

Electricity powers nearly every aspect of modern life, from brewing morning coffee to running factories and hospitals. But as electricity demand grows, grid equipment ages, and extreme weather becomes more common, every part of the grid — its processes, infrastructure, and how we manage it — need to evolve to ensure that electricity is still available and affordable when people need it.

Skip to content 101 June 23, 2026 Once a stable, slow-moving system, the US grid is running up against its ability to meet demand. An unprecedented set of dynamics is driving a wave of investment: soaring demand growth, rapidly falling prices for clean energy, and outdated rules to update the grid. This is part II in a series of basic grid explainers. See part I, “The Changing Electricity Grid.” Ensuring that supply meets demand is a fundamental concern of every electricity system.

The economics of US residential clean technology adoption have shifted dramatically. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act released in summer 2025 ended major tax credits for clean upgrades. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)’s 30% credit for rooftop solar, up to $2,000 credit for air-source heat pumps (ASHPs), and up to $7,500 credit for electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer available to offset up-front costs, increasing the effective cost of these technologies for many households.

Fifty years ago this October, in the pages of Foreign Affairs, Amory Lovins argued that the most consequential energy choices confronting industrial societies were not about fuels but about design.

Supportive state policies can make clean energy more competitive on previously developed and disturbed lands By Tansy Massey-Green and Matthew Popkin Our energy system has always required land — from oil and gas drilling and coal mining to solar and wind farm siting. Communities face competing needs and goals that inform how they use their land.