Reinventing Fire


Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era
by Amory B. Lovins, founder of Rocky Mountain Institute

Main Points:

  • Rocky Mountain Institute is a 501(c) tax-exempt nonprofit whose primary mission is to drive energy efficiency and proper use of material resources. Their $13 million/yr revenue comes from partnerships with private-sector to employ energy efficient standards/integrative design to existing spaces. Reinventing Fire is their thesis to reduce use, modulate demand, and optimize supply of energy to the world before 2050. It focuses on advances in transportation, buildings, industry, and electricity that can help us reduce emissions by 80% and generate $5 trillion in value for the U.S. economy.
  • Transportation: A major point in this book is on the use of single-person auto's. Currently 77% of Americans drive to work in a single-person auto, more than 10x all of the Americans who carpool.  Additionally, trains are 2x cost effective and 5x more fuel efficient than hauling freight by trucks. 
  • Buildings: If U.S. buildings were a country they would be the third most energy consuming country. If we cut energy use for space heating, space cooling, water heating, lighting, electronics, appliances by 38%, this could result in $1.4 trillion in net present value energy savings. 
  • Electricity: The main goal of the book is to envision a new electricity sector and the grid. Lovins and RMI compares 4 scenarios: (1) current situation (2) more nuclear/ CCS (3) more renewables (4) distributed generation of microgrids. The fourth choice- a distributed generation, intelligent device, intelligent infrastructure environment- would result in greater national security, reliability, and greater efficiency in transmission/distribution. 




Watch Amory Lovins' Ted Talk, "A 40 Year Plan for Energy" in which he outlines the main points of Reinventing Fire and the necessary policy steps needed to reach the goal. 

For a discussion on why modern renewables don't need a breakthrough in energy storage, I would recommend watching Lovins' other Ted Talk. 

Finally, for an in-depth interview between Tom Freidman and Amory Lovins at the 35th anniversary of the Rocky Mountain institute, give this Youtube Video a watch. 

For a critique on Reinventing Fire, read the book review published by Brave New Climate's Ted Trainer, who tries to curb Lovins' enthusiasm for large energy savings by citing Vaclav Smil. 

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