Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is an independent, non-partisan nonprofit that drives the efficient and restorative use of resources. Co-founded in 1982 by Amory Lovins, its Chairman Emeritus and Chief Scientist, RMI now has approximately 80 full-time staff, annual operations of $16 million, and a global reach and reputation.
RMI's Activities
RMI advances market-based solutions, engaging businesses, communities, and institutions to cost-effectively shift to efficiency and renewables. They employ rigorous research, analysis, and whole-systems expertise to develop breakthrough insights. They then convene and collaborate with diverse partners—business, government, academic, nonprofit, philanthropic, and military—to accelerate and scale solutions.
RMI's strategic focus
RMI's strategic focus is transforming global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure energy future.
Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era, RMI's 2011 book, offers a vision, rigorous analysis, and a solutions roadmap for achieving that focus in the United States, demonstrating a future energy paradigm that gets the country off oil, coal, and nuclear energy and onto efficiency and renewables. Such an energy transition could support at 158%-bigger 2050 U.S. economy at a $5 trillion net present value savings over business-as-usual.
In 2013, RMI embarked on a similar Reinventing Fire study for China in partnership with three other major organizations as input for China's next five-year plan. In addition, RMI has undertaken targeted applications of its proposed solutions at city, state, and regional levels. They focus on accelerating deployment of solutions in the four energy-using sectors of their economy: transportation, buildings, industry, and electricity. In each of these sectors, RMI drives innovation in technology, policy, design, and especially business strategy and market opportunity.
Driving Impact: RMI employs rigorous research, analysis, and whole-systems expertise to develop breakthrough insights. In partnership with collaborators, chiefly in the private sector, RMI tests and refines those ideas. Then RMI convenes and collaborates with diverse partners—business, government, academic, nonprofit, philanthropic, and military—to accelerate and scale solutions. That’s why they call themselves a “think-and-do” tank.
Their donor-funded work boldly tackles the toughest long-term problems—challenges often ignored by those held to short-term results. Through donor support, RMI has the freedom to choose projects that make their vision of a world thriving, verdant, and secure become reality.
