Fossil fuels

Utilities

More demand, more gas: Inside the Southeast’s dirty power push

Southeastern utilities want to build fossil gas power plants to meet surging demand. Critics say clean energy, batteries and grid-responsive data centers can do the job.

By Jeff St. John . 11 April 2024

Fossil fuels

Natural gas is the pillar of the US electric grid. It’s also unreliable

Pro-fossil groups argue gas is more reliable than clean energy. But in extreme cold, gas pipelines and power plants are failing to deliver when they're most needed.

By Jeff St. John . 5 July 2023
Clean energy

Chart: Clean energy investment to hit $1.7T, widening lead on fossil fuels

That’s more than the $1 trillion oil, gas and coal will get this year — but still a far cry from the $4 trillion IEA says will be needed annually by 2030.

By Dan McCarthy . 2 June 2023
Fossil fuels

Vermont is moving from fuel oil to clean heat

The state legislature in Vermont overruled the governor’s veto to pass a law that will curb greenhouse gas emissions from heating homes and other buildings.

By Maria Gallucci . 16 May 2023
Utilities

The EPA has a controversial new plan to clean up power plants

Utilities and fossil fuel companies have touted carbon capture for years, but now they're unhappy that the EPA is telling them it's viable and ready for use.

By Joseph Winters . 12 May 2023
Food and farms

The investment boom in ‘renewable natural gas’ is sparking debate

Oil and gas giants are spending billions to develop RNG projects from trash, food and manure. But experts say there’s a limited future for the waste-derived fuel.

By Maria Gallucci . 8 May 2023
Fossil fuels

New York passes first statewide ban on gas in new buildings

The first-in-the-nation law takes aim at a major source of carbon emissions and air pollution starting in 2026, but it doesn't affect existing buildings.

By Maria Gallucci . 3 May 2023
Carbon capture

EPA rules may push power plants to capture carbon. Is the tech ready?

The Biden administration is poised to propose new regulations for coal- and gas-burning power plants, which could breathe new life into a long-beleaguered technology.

By Maria Gallucci . 28 April 2023
Fossil fuels

Canary talks about New York and fossil gas on The Weather Channel

Watch Canary Media’s Jeff St. John discuss the state’s plans to decarbonize its buildings and fossil gas utilities on the cable channel’s climate show, Pattrn.

By Jeff St. John . 19 April 2023
Clean energy

Chart: The US got more electricity from renewables than coal last year

It's a major milestone, but fossil gas remains the market leader by a wide margin.

By Eric Wesoff, Maria Virginia Olano . 7 April 2023
Hydrogen

Test shows hydrogen blending slightly reduces gas power plant emissions

The hydrogen revolution isn’t here quite yet — but now we know what happens when a certain type of gas plant burns a small amount of hydrogen.

By Julian Spector . 24 March 2023