General
California Flattens Rate Blocks, Rolls Out Default Time-of-use Pricing
California’s three largest investor-owned utilities will soon go through a major electricity rate reform, replacing the four-tier structure with a two-tier or a three-tier structure. While this would seem to discourage conservation and efficiency, new default time-of-use rates could change the entire equation.
Why Tankless Water Heaters Might Not Hold Water
For the 4.6 million American households with electricity rates that vary by time of day, a tankless electric heater could actually increase operating costs if the hot water is used during peak price times.
Fixed Charges Don’t ‘Fix’ the Problem
Pricing structures matter—not just for the timing of cost-effective solar-plus-battery economics but also how investment in solar-plus-battery systems might evolve and what the future electricity grid could look like.
Building a Hurricane-Ready Microgrid
With its shelter-in-place strategy, the City of Hoboken, New Jersey, plans a resilient microgrid to help residents stand their ground in the face of the next big storm.
Antarctica is Losing Its Edge
The largest ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula is at imminent risk of collapse. RMI senior fellow Robert “Hutch” Hutchinson recently returned from a trip to the Antarctic, where he saw that continent’s rapidly changing environment up close.
