With the US and global economy in free-fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the renewable energy industry is hemorrhaging projects and jobs at a faster rate than the overall economy. As of the end of April, more than half a million US clean energy workers are now out of work, and the number is still climbing. What is increasingly clear is that if we don’t take immediate action to stem the bleeding, the US will lose a big chunk of what was one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy and, in the long term, could result in a serious setback in efforts to address climate change.
Steve's Latest Posts

Maine Hits Clean Energy Grand Slam
July 9, 2019 12:03 PM EDT
As a baseball fan, I’m looking forward to watching the best players in the world compete for bragging rights in the 90th Major League Baseball All-Star game tonight. As a Maine resident for the past 11 years, I’m even more thrilled to see Maine regain its all-star status as a clean energy leader. Read more >

50% by 2035 National Renewable Electricity Standard Would Boost Economy and Cut Carbon Emissions
June 26, 2019 9:06 AM EDT
Today, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and several others introduced The Renewable Electricity Standard Act of 2019, a bill that would more than double the supply of renewable energy from 18% of US electricity generation in 2018 to at least 50% by 2035. It’s a strong proposal that builds on the recent clean energy momentum in the states and establishes a long-term national policy for renewable energy. A new UCS analysis shows that a national renewable electricity standard (RES) of 50% by 2035 would boost the economy, benefit consumers, and put the nation on a pathway to decarbonize the power sector by 2050.

5 Reasons Why HB 6, Ohio’s Nuclear Plant Subsidy Proposal, Should Be Rejected
May 16, 2019 10:38 AM EDT
Last November, UCS released Nuclear Power Dilemma, which found that more than one-third of existing nuclear plants, representing 22 percent of total US nuclear capacity, are uneconomic or slated to close over the next decade. This included the Davis-Besse and Perry plants in Ohio that are owned by Akron-based FirstEnergy Solutions. Replacing these plants with natural gas would cause emissions to rise at a time when we need to achieve deep cuts in emissions to limit the worst impacts of climate change.

7 Things People Got Wrong with our Recent ‘Nuclear Power Dilemma’ Report
November 16, 2018 1:29 PM EDT
On November 8, UCS released The Nuclear Power Dilemma: Declining Profits, Plant Closures, and the Threat of Rising Carbon Emissions, which found that more than one-third of existing nuclear plants, representing 22 percent of total US nuclear capacity, is uneconomic or slated to close over the next decade. Unfortunately, some of the media coverage and statements by the nuclear industry and other groups have mischaracterized our report and our past work. Here are seven points to correct the record. Read more >