Articles

Guest essay

How solar and batteries help keep lights on during Texas winter storms

The recent boom in renewables and storage in Texas means its grid is much better prepared for bad weather than it was when Winter Storm Uri hit five years ago.

By Tam Hunt . 19 February 2026
Heat pumps

Zero Homes nabs $16.8M to go big on easier heat pump installation

The Denver-based startup’s software eliminates the usual in-person home visit to quote a heat pump project, saving customers time and money.

By Alison F. Takemura . 19 February 2026
Utilities

I let Duke Energy control my thermostat. I don’t regret it.

Throughout this freezing-cold winter, customers like me pitched in to save North Carolina’s grid, and we made a little money doing it.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 19 February 2026
Utilities

What’s behind your sky-high power bill: A region-by-region breakdown

Geography, wildfires, natural gas, wind energy, regulatory free-for-alls — these are some of the factors that determine your electric bills.

By Naveena Sadasivam, Clayton Aldern . 19 February 2026
Climatetech finance

Heron Power raises $140M to modernize electrical transformers

Transformers are an old technology that’s in short supply. Tesla alum Drew Baglino thinks his startup can help meet rising demand with new solid-state hardware.

By Jeff St. John . 18 February 2026
Energy storage

New England’s biggest grid battery is up and running in Maine

The region has little to show for its big storage goals, but the new 175-MW project will help close that gap — and provide a needed boost in electricity capacity.

By Julian Spector . 18 February 2026
Food and farms

Fear of farmland loss slows solar and wind development

Renewable energy projects can help small-scale farmers make ends meet, but some rural residents don’t like changes to the agricultural landscape.

By Claire Carlson . 18 February 2026
Climate crisis

States push climate superfund bills despite Trump’s opposition

The legislation would make oil and gas firms pay for climate damages from burning their products. Trump has referred to such laws as “extortion.”

By Sarah Shemkus . 17 February 2026
Virtual power plants

Why Xcel’s bid to reinvent the virtual power plant is so controversial

Most VPPs rely on customers’ solar and batteries. Xcel says its utility-owned alternative can do a better job in Minnesota — but critics question the cost.

By Jeff St. John . 17 February 2026
Climate justice

Residents along Louisiana’s Cancer Alley have a new worry: blue ammonia

The facilities would rely on carbon capture, which has yet to successfully scale up, and would still emit thousands of tons of pollution.

By Ames Alexander . 16 February 2026