Policy & regulation

Fossil fuels

Bay Area officials vote to ditch new gas furnaces and water heaters

Starting in 2027, San Francisco Bay Area regulators will require appliances to have zero emissions of nitrogen oxides, a move that effectively bans gas.

By Maria Gallucci . 17 March 2023
Fossil fuels

We know gas stoves have health risks. What about other gas appliances?

Amid the gas-stove hubbub, the health impacts of other gas appliances like furnaces, water heaters and dryers haven't gotten much attention. Here's a rundown.

By Sarah Wesseler . 13 March 2023
Clean industry

DOE launches $6B program to slash emissions from heavy industry

The Biden administration announced it will help fund projects to clean up the production of steel, cement, aluminum and other hard-to-decarbonize sectors.

By Maria Gallucci . 9 March 2023
Electric vehicles

California's plan to electrify trucking may be hard for small companies

The state's ambitious timeline for cleaning up trucks will slash pollution in port communities, but some freight firms may not be able to afford the switch.

By Gabriela Aoun Angueira . 7 March 2023
Food and farms

There's a push underway to help more US farms save big with clean energy

Advocates say revamping the 20-year-old federal Rural Energy for America Program could give cash-crunched small farms some much-needed breathing room.

By Kathiann M. Kowalski . 6 March 2023
Nuclear

Will the feds approve any of the new small modular nuclear reactors?

Startups like Nano Nuclear and others are developing promising new designs. But the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has a 48-year streak of saying no.

By Eric Wesoff . 3 March 2023
Clean energy

California ups renewables target again with new plan to add 85GW by 2035

The updated carbon-cutting goals will require immense amounts of solar, batteries, offshore wind, geothermal and transmission. Can it all be built fast enough?

By Jeff St. John . 24 February 2023
Clean energy jobs

Chart: US climate law to spur thousands of new jobs in every state

The biggest winners from Inflation Reduction Act–driven projects will be states with plentiful wind and sun and significant manufacturing bases, according to a new analysis.

By Maria Gallucci . 17 February 2023
EV charging

Tesla's Supercharger network will soon open to all types of EVs

The Elon Musk–led EV giant will make at least 3,500 charging stations available to non-Teslas as the Biden administration unveils funding for a national charging network.

By Maria Gallucci . 15 February 2023
Electrification

Rebates for home energy upgrades are coming soon. Here’s how to plan

A home-energy expert offers 5 to-dos for households eager to ditch their fossil-fuel appliances with help from the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act.

By Maria Gallucci . 7 February 2023