Food and farms

Clean energy

Trump moves goalposts for farmers counting on clean energy grants

The USDA is demanding grant rewrites favoring fossil fuels over renewables, leaving some rural recipients doubtful they’ll ever see the money they were promised.

By Mario Alejandro Ariza, Ames Alexander, Joe Engleman . 31 March 2025
Food and farms

The Trump climate story is boring — except this part

We won’t see national progress on clean energy policy over the next four years. But interesting things could happen in the food-climate nexus.

By Michael Grunwald . 20 March 2025
Solar

This farmer was skeptical about solar — until he began grazing sheep

Illinois farmer Trent Gerlach had misgivings about solar panels taking up cropland, but he saw a chance to try agrivoltaics, a practice catching on around the US.

By Kari Lydersen . 15 October 2024
Policy & regulation

California could lock in disastrous dairy methane rules, advocates warn

CARB could finally regulate methane emissions from the state’s huge dairy farms and eliminate the special treatment dairy biogas gets via its clean fuel program. Or not.

By Jeff St. John . 14 October 2024
Solar

6,000 sheep will soon be grazing on 10,000 acres of Texas solar fields

The largest solar grazing project in the U.S. will reduce mowing costs and emissions — and make for some happy sheep.

By Carrie Klein . 16 August 2024
Food and farms

Meati is turning fungi into climate-friendly steaks. Will diners bite?

The sustainable food startup just raised another $100 million to try and break through a tough market for alternative meats.

By Julian Spector . 27 June 2024
Electrification

Can electric woks produce great stir-fry?

Many chefs are asking what a future without gas will mean for culinary traditions.

By Akielly Hu . 17 May 2024
Air travel

Can corn ethanol really help decarbonize US air travel?

The Biden administration will allow ethanol producers to access tax credits for sustainable aviation fuel. Farmers and climate groups have mixed reactions.

By Maria Gallucci . 6 May 2024
Solar

Ohio greenlights massive solar, storage and agrivoltaics project

Oak Run will be Ohio's largest solar installation and the nation's biggest agrivoltaics project, spanning 6,000 acres and totaling 800 MW.

By Eric Wesoff . 21 March 2024
Transportation

Is CARB staff blocking reform at California’s clean transport program?

Members of the agency’s board have raised concerns about the role biofuels play in its Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Critics say CARB's staff hasn’t acted on them.

By Jeff St. John . 14 March 2024