Founded by energy analysts Hunter and Amory B. Lovins in 1982, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is a nonprofit research and education center dedicated to the conservation of energy and other resources worldwide. According to literature published by the Institute, the Lovinses founded RMI with the intention of fostering "the efficient and sustainable use of resources as a path to global security." RMI targets seven main areas for reform: energy, water, agriculture, transportation, economic renewal, green development, and global security.

RMI's energy and water programs attempt to promote energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources. The programs take an "end-use/least-cost" approach, promoting awareness of which activities require energy, how much and what types of energy those activities require, and the cheapest way that energy can be supplied. E Source, a subsidiary of the energy program, serves as a clearinghouse for technological information on...