Fossil fuels

Fossil fuels

The Colonial pipeline ransomware shutdown: A wake-up call for energy cybersecurity

How digital hostage-taking can bring about the breakdown of fossil fuel networks — and threaten the power grid.

By Jeff St. John . 11 May 2021
Electrification

California's proposed building code boosts all-electric, but it doesn’t stop natural gas

Heat pumps will be the baseline tech, but natural gas can still be in new buildings through mid-decade at least. Will city and county bans push past state codes?

By Jeff St. John . 7 May 2021
Just transition

Newsletter: 'A New Hope' for solar equity

A force awakens at the Department of Energy: the power of Star Wars puns to promote equity and inclusion in the solar workforce.

By Julian Spector . 7 May 2021
Guest essay

The US coal fleet is running out of time and money. What comes next?

New analysis shows that four out of five American coal plants cost more to run than new local renewables.

By Amanda Myers, Mike O’Boyle . 6 May 2021
Fossil fuels

What’s the future for US coal and nuclear as the energy transition takes hold?

Both face market challenges, but nuclear could outlast coal.

By Jason Deign . 6 May 2021
Guest essay

Utilities can’t be for the Paris Agreement and against building electrification

Energy companies are making a bad bet on fossil fuels in buildings. Investors don’t want to take the hit.

By Lila Holzman, Daniel Stewart . 5 May 2021
Climatetech finance

Mainspring Energy raises $95M for linear generators to clean up the grid

The startup envisions its novel technology as a linchpin of a distributed, resilient and renewable power grid.

By Jeff St. John . 4 May 2021
Policy & regulation

PJM moves to curtail compliance with FERC policy that hinders state-subsidized clean energy

A long-running policy battle over the country’s biggest capacity market appears to be nearing an end. What the replacement policy will look like remains an open question.

By Jeff St. John . 29 April 2021
Guest essay

Net-Zero Banking Alliance’s carbon commitment: The good, the bad and the missing-in-action

The latest global banking coalition aligned with the Paris Agreement lacks the ambition required to reach net-zero emissions.

By Jeanne Martin . 29 April 2021
Clean industry

Joe Biden’s Green New Steel

Steel-making is one of the world's most carbon-intensive industries. New technologies and proactive policy interventions could change that.

By Jay Stein . 28 April 2021