Energy

Powering down: To prevent wildfires, states try turning off the grid

COMMENTARY | The trend started in California, but now more states are opting to shut off power to parts of the grid in extreme conditions.

  • By Kyri Baker, The Conversation

‘Valuable and largely overlooked:’ Interest in virtual power plants grows

Virtual power plant programs can be a cost-effective way to support a strained electric grid at a time when huge projected electric demand increases loom.

  • By Robert Zullo, New Jersey Monitor

California’s new rules allow solar and batteries to help out the grid

Utilities tend to treat solar and batteries as threats to their power grids. California’s policy will now tap their flexible power to benefit the grid instead.

  • By Jeff St. John, Energy News Network

Shapiro pitches carbon cap-and-invest plan to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s energy exports

The program could make could make the state a national clean energy leader, but critics claim it’s the same tax on electricity as the state’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

  • By Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Big Oil faces a flood of climate lawsuits—and they’re moving closer to trial

A quarter of Americans now live in cities and states taking companies to court over lying to the public.

  • By Kate Yoder, Grist

8 states move to ban utilities from using customer money for lobbying

Utilities have come under fire for lobbying to stall climate policies and keep fossil fuel plants running.

  • By Akielly Hu, Grist

9 states band together to phase out fossil fuel heating in homes

The signatories say the agreement’s focus on building emissions will signal to manufacturers that there will be a robust market for heat pumps in the coming years.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Five years later, New Hampshire’s community power law is reshaping the electricity market

The statewide community power coalition will become the state’s second-largest electrical supplier this spring after it adds another 29 communities to the program.

  • By Lisa Prevost, Energy News Network

Chicago could be first major Midwestern city to ban gas in new construction

Buildings are Chicago’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, but efforts to decarbonize them are facing union opposition.

  • By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, Grist

Federal rule forces oil states to cut planet-warming methane emissions

Some states say the new regulation is too heavy a lift.

  • By Alex Brown, Stateline

Berkeley’s gas ban is all but dead. What does that mean for other cities?

Despite another defeat in court, experts say cities still have plenty of options for electrifying buildings.

  • By Akielly Hu, Grist

A court struck down local gas bans—so Seattle and other cities are getting creative

Amid an uncertain legal landscape, lawmakers are finding new ways to electrify buildings.

  • By Akielly Hu, Grist
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Friendly competition heats up energy conservation among neighbors

Indiana saw a 30% reduction in residential energy use across four cities after deploying the MySmartE system that incentivizes households to conserve energy.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

New life for old coal: Mine lands and power plants are hot renewable development spots

Converting old coal plants to renewable energy storage sites can set states up for job creation and increased tax revenue, one observer says.

  • By Robert Zullo, Iowa Capital Dispatch

Former coal towns get money for clean energy projects

Coal, oil and gas communities are receiving an amount of investment that is far above their share of the population.

  • By Kery Murakami

How one city funds climate resilience, a dollar at a time

With $1 collected from every electric and gas bills each month, Minneapolis plans to weatherize residents’ homes, install rooftop solar on commercial buildings and build electric vehicle charging stations.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Public power is on the ballot in Maine. Will voters take a leap of faith?

The state has a chance to oust unpopular investor-owned utilities—and set a precedent for the rest of the country.

  • By Akielly Hu, Grist

Who should have land-use authority in green energy projects?

Michigan lawmakers are considering legislation that would shift some land-use authorities to the state to streamline renewable energy developments. But local governments and residents fear their voices will get left behind in the race to build green infrastructure.

  • By Molly Bolan

Fossil fuel workers have the skills to succeed in green jobs, but location is a major barrier to a just transition

COMMENTARY | In a greener future, what becomes of current fossil fuel workers? Despite possessing skills applicable to green industries, their geographical locations will limit their opportunities.

  • By Morgan R. Frank and Junghyun Lim, The Conversation

Why some power companies support climate laws, but others don’t

Electric utilities have considerable political juice in state capitols, which a study found they can use to promote or stymie greenhouse gas reduction efforts.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Words matter: Climate messaging needs a reboot

By paying close attention to the vocabulary policymakers use to frame climate issues, they can more effectively build public support for climate mitigation.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson