Subscribe to John's posts
April 22nd, 2013
In the fine tradition of mashups that have produced zombie-enhanced classic novels and cutting-edge high school music efforts, a new UCS mini-report is a stimulating amalgamation of two exciting areas of UCS research, pointing to additional bonuses from closing old coal plants. This Earth Day, you can celebrate water savings, too. Read More
March 22nd, 2013
If you’re all done with your vernal equinox celebrations and looking for another excuse to party, you’re in luck. It may not show up on your run-of-the-mill cute-puppy-dog calendar, but it turns out that today is World Water Day. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate it, you could do worse than finding some way to save energy. Read More
March 21st, 2013
The 2012 figures on U.S. solar installations have just come in, and things are looking, well, sunny. The U.S. Solar Market Insight 2012 report shows that annual solar installations grew 76 percent last year. That growth has been driven by a dynamic and exciting interplay between costs, markets, and policies that have created incentives, knocked down barriers, and brought in all kinds of new customers. Read More
February 8th, 2013
The nine states involved in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) announced plans yesterday to get stricter about power plant carbon emissions, with a tighter cap on those emissions and other updates that build on the program’s successes. That’s good news indeed, for the region and the country. Read More
February 6th, 2013
A new report from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) shows just how far their commitment to offshore wind has taken them, and where they’re headed. Meanwhile, in the United States, no turbines, but progress nonetheless. And in Asia, some notable results. Read More
January 9th, 2013
Events of the last few days say a lot about our politics, our planet, and our prospects. When it comes to thinking about our energy-water future, three events in particular stand out: NOAA’s news about 2012 temperatures, Georgia Power’s announcement about power plant retirements, and the renewable energy pieces of Washington’s recent fiscal deal. Read More
December 20th, 2012
This year, much about the holidays is the same as always. But maybe not the lighting. And that may be cause for a little rejoicing. Read More
November 28th, 2012
Announcements from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities don’t always get me out of bed in the morning, but one that came across the wires this week is noteworthy for its importance for Massachusetts and for U.S. offshore wind. The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has just announced its approval of a 15-year agreement between NSTAR, the utility serving the Boston area, and the developers of Cape Wind, a proposed offshore wind project off Cape Cod. Read More
October 26th, 2012
In a column last week, David Brooks of the New York Times took aim at green energy. His aim was way off, and his readers deserve better. Read More
October 17th, 2012
You’ve probably already heard the news this week about a clean energy company that received a government grant filing for bankruptcy. What you may not have heard quite so clearly is that clean tech is working, for the United States and our transformation to a better, stronger, cleaner energy future. Read More
© 2013
