Trump’s war on energy efficiency will raise costs and hurt consumers
Voters returned Donald Trump to the White House largely because they were unhappy about the cost of living. So, why does Trump want us to pay more for energy?
Latest
What I’m reading: States lag on energy efficiency, record U.S. clean energy deployment, tax credit uncertainty, and more
Quitting Carbon is a 100% subscriber-funded publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation. Ahead of the weekend, here is another roundup of highlights from some of what I've been reading. Enjoy! States lagging on energy efficiency: Far too many
Why you should feel a little less guilty about flying
At a forum last week in Sacramento, stakeholders from government, industry, and academia made it clear that progress is well underway to curb climate pollution from the aviation sector.
The next frontier for an energy transition pioneer: bidirectional EV charging
Enlisting your EV for double duty as a battery that can power your home when the grid goes down is part of the new climate reality, argues climate advocate Justin Guay.
Musk’s DOGE ‘wrecking ball’ could topple Trump’s ‘energy dominance’ agenda
The General Services Administration wants to shutter more than 2 million square feet of Department of Interior office space. Who will be left to help Trump achieve “energy dominance”?
What I’m reading: Even more savings from LEDs, Trump's EV purge, solar and batteries displacing gas in California, and more
Quitting Carbon is a 100% subscriber-funded publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation. Because we journalists learn about so many more interesting and notable developments each day than we have time to write about them in stories, here is another roundup
Wake up California, Trump is coming for your offshore wind industry
The California officials who spoke last Friday at a symposium on ports and offshore wind barely mentioned the biggest threat to the industry: President Donald Trump.
Here’s how Colorado is requiring gas utilities to reduce their emissions
Regulators just approved a landmark Clean Heat Plan for Colorado’s second-largest gas utility.
What I’m reading: Trump kills the Green Proving Ground, uncertainty reigns on federal clean energy funding, and more
Quitting Carbon is a 100% subscriber-funded publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation. Ahead of the long holiday weekend, here is another roundup of highlights from what I've been reading – and listening to. Enjoy! Trump kills GSA’s Green
Here’s how California plans to start pruning its fossil gas network
In a conversation with Quitting Carbon, the Building Decarbonization Coalition’s Beckie Menten gives an update on the rollout of SB 1221, landmark legislation that authorizes 30 neighborhood decarbonization pilots across California.
What I’m reading: Tracking Trump's climate rollbacks, NYC congestion pricing, building back better in LA, and more
Quitting Carbon is a 100% subscriber-funded publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation. Ahead of your weekend, here is another roundup of highlights from some of what I've been reading – and watching. Enjoy! Tracking Trump 2.0 climate rollbacks:
Don’t let Trump’s executive orders blitz memory hole Biden’s billions for climate action
It is too early to know how much damage Donald Trump's executive actions will do to the U.S. clean energy transition, but Joe Biden's climate investments will be paying off for many years to come.
Q&As
“Game-changing” EPA grant fast tracks decarbonization at the Port of Oakland
Northern California's largest port will use a $322 million grant from the EPA’s Clean Ports Program to buy hundreds of zero-emissions trucks and cargo-handling vehicles.
What I'm reading
What I’m reading: Sustainable aviation fuel, U.S. transit expansion, the AI power demand boom, and more
Quitting Carbon is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation. I have several stories in the works, including a Q&A on the zero-emissions operations initiative at a major U.S. West Coast port. For now, here is
Reporting
This solution could unlock full electrification in millions of homes
Redwood Energy and NeoCharge recently demonstrated a "Watt Diet" electrification solution that avoids the need for expensive electrical upgrades in existing homes.
What I'm reading
What I’m reading: Data centers and electricity demand, geothermal networks, and Copenhagen's "five-minute city"
Special offer: Readers who subscribe to Quitting Carbon before the end of 2024 can get one year of this newsletter at a 40% discount. You can also make a one-time donation. This look at highlights from what I’ve been reading is the last Quitting Carbon newsletter of 2024. I&
Commentary
Lawsuits that reach state supreme courts could drive climate action during Trump 2.0
The Montana Supreme Court just handed young climate activists a landmark victory by affirming the state constitutional right to a clean environment. It could provide a template for action at other state supreme courts over the next four years.
Special offer: Get one year of Quitting Carbon at a 40% discount
Dear readers, I launched Quitting Carbon last month with the goal of providing context on the projects, people, and policies advancing the energy transition. This newsletter offers a mix of original reporting, commentary, and recaps of what I've been reading. I've already reported on research debunking
Commentary
Trump’s plan to cancel USPS EV trucks contracts shows contempt for taxpayers, letter carriers, and climate action
Quitting Carbon is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation. You would think that a multi-billion-dollar program to deploy tens of thousands of safer, more efficient mail delivery trucks made in the United States would align with Donald Trump’
What I'm reading
What I’m reading: Agrivoltaics, US solar boom, global EV deployment, and California dreaming
Today’s newsletter is the latest roundup of nuggets I’ve unearthed from my daily reading. These roundups will return to Fridays in the coming weeks, with the next installment arriving before the Christmas break. Enjoy! One of Biden’s legacies: energy-efficient, comfortable affordable housing: If you haven’t tracked
Commentary
Soaring electricity rates threaten climate action
Households may balk at joining the energy transition unless policymakers in California and beyond act to rein in electricity rate increases.
Reporting
Forget what you’ve heard, heat pumps can thrive in the cold
Under a challenge convened by the US Department of Energy, manufacturers put residential heat pumps to the test in extreme cold – they passed.
What I'm reading
What I’m reading: Marine energy, electric trains and buses, and more
We journalists read all day, sifting through reams of news stories, PR pitches, press releases, reports, and studies to inform and shape the stories we bring you. Not all this raw material will be grist for one of our own stories, but so much of it is still well worth
Reporting
Taking the emergency out of water heater replacement – and slashing emissions
A new program from a San Francisco Bay Area electricity provider gives homeowners critical time to select a water heater that is better for the planet.