Akielly Hu

Akielly Hu is a freelance journalist and contributing reporter for Canary Media. Previously, she was a news and politics fellow at Grist.

The Latest from Akielly Hu

Solar

Balcony solar is all the rage in Germany. Why not in the US?

A new Utah law promoting balcony solar reveals the challenges of making the clean-energy tech mesh with the U.S. grid.

By Akielly Hu . 1 May 2025
Utilities

Rising utility bills have Americans worried

As Trump’s policies threaten to raise utility bills, a new poll finds broad concern over costs — and little knowledge of the regulators that control rates.

By Akielly Hu . 23 April 2025
Clean energy

Maryland’s sweeping new energy legislation is a mixed bag for climate

Lawmakers took steps to limit investment in gas infrastructure and bolster solar and storage — but they also passed a bill to expedite new fossil-gas power plants.

By Akielly Hu . 10 April 2025
Carbon-free buildings

Illinois city passes law to slash emissions from big buildings

Evanston is the latest in a growing wave of municipalities and states enacting laws to decarbonize existing buildings, a major source of planet-warming emissions.

By Akielly Hu . 27 March 2025
Utilities

Colorado and Connecticut lowered utility bills by reining in lobbying

A handful of other states have introduced similar legislation with the aim of saving ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

By Akielly Hu . 13 February 2025
Clean energy

The US smashed clean energy records last year. Can it keep up the pace?

Developers plan to add even more solar, wind, and battery storage capacity in 2025, but the Trump administration isn't making that easy.

By Akielly Hu . 12 February 2025
Solar

Chart: In a first, EU grid got more power from solar than coal in 2024

The bloc’s use of fossil fuels for electricity hit a historic low, but experts say more progress, particularly in the wind sector, is needed.

By Akielly Hu . 31 January 2025
Solar

Floating solar has massive potential in the US

A new report outlines the country’s ample "floatovoltaics" opportunity. Floating solar arrays have already taken off in some Asian and European countries.

By Akielly Hu . 27 January 2025
Solar

Oregon to host nation’s largest solar-plus-storage installation

Massive projects like Sunstone Solar, which will extend across nearly 9,500 acres and have 1,200 MW of solar, are becoming more and more common.

By Akielly Hu . 21 January 2025
Emissions reduction

US emissions barely declined in 2024 amid rising power demand, fuel use

Despite a record year for clean energy, U.S. emissions fell by just 0.2 percent last year. That’s far short of the pace needed to meet climate goals.

By Akielly Hu . 13 January 2025