Two think tanks are better than one

San Francisco relies on hydroelectric power for municipal use.

San Francisco is aiming to make all electricity consumed in the city carbon emission-free by 2030. And it has recruited Snowmass, Colo.-based Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to figure out how.

The move is an extension of the city’s climate action plan, which commits the city to reducing its overall carbon emissions by more than 30 percent from 2000 levels by 2012.

While the San Francisco Public Utility Commission’s goal is “very ambitious,” says Kitty Wang, a principal at RMI, the city already has an advantage in one aspect: It uses hydroelectric power for its municipal electricity needs. The bulk of power used by residents and businesses comes from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (NYSE: PCG).

To figure out how to make the rest of the city’s energy use carbon-neutral, RMI is calculating the gap between the city’s 2030 goal and its current power-consumption trends. It then plans to identify resources and recommend solutions, which would likely include taking energy efficiency measures and investing in onsite renewable energy generation. The think tank, which has experience helping many types of organizations reduce their energy consumption, also plans to pinpoint barriers to implementing each strategy.

By early 2010 the institute plans to provide the city with a report that outlines recommendations. One challenge is leaving room for uncertainties that are inherent in such a long-term plan, Wang says. To account for that, many of the institute’s recommendations will likely be at a strategic planning level.

In other news, RMI in October announced the formation of the U.S. Council for Freight Efficiency, which would further RMI's goal of doubling truck efficiency within 10 years, both in terms of gallons of fuel used and the time and resources consumed to deliver materials and goods across the nation.