January 8, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
New Clark City, a $2.5 billion project in the Philippines, is designed to be a climate-resilient urban hub with plans for green infrastructure, renewable energy, and flood-resista
In Summer Heat, ‘Artificial Shortages’ in Texas Grid May Have Cost $8 Billion
Summary
The New York Times, through J. David Goodman's reporting from Houston, discusses the significant impact of artificial shortages in the Texas electricity grid during the summer heat. While the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) introduced a new reserve mechanism to enhance grid reliability, critics argue it led to intentional spikes in electricity prices, costing around $8 billion over three months. The report unveils that these price hikes occurred even when power supply was abundant, creating "artificial shortages" as part of ERCOT's strategy. The article highlights winners and losers in this scenario, with some power companies and solar panel owners benefiting while ordinary Texans may face higher energy costs. The changes were initiated following the 2021 winter storm that caused widespread blackouts, emphasizing ERCOT's efforts to prevent similar failures. Critics, however, view it as a wealth transfer, potentially burdening consumers in the future.
January 8, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
President Biden’s new ban on offshore oil and gas drilling excludes the western Gulf of Mexico, the area responsible for 97% of U.S. offshore oil production. The ban protects the
UN Special Rapporteur Elisa Morgera has called for fundamental reforms to the global climate regime, criticizing the current system as ineffective and dominated by misinformation
January 4, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Rising sea levels caused by climate change threaten to severely damage 13 major oil ports globally, including key facilities in Saudi Arabia, the US, China, and the Netherlands. A
January 3, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
In a landmark decision, the Montana Supreme Court ruled 6-1 in favor of 16 youth plaintiffs in *Held v. Montana*, affirming their constitutional right to a “clean and healthful en
January 3, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
AI-driven weather forecasting models are proving faster, cheaper, and more accurate than traditional numerical methods reliant on expensive supercomputers. These tools leverage ma
January 3, 2025
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
Elon Musk, alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President-elect Donald Trump. Tasked with cutting $2 trillion in federal spend
January 2, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Texans are increasingly adopting microgrids as a solution to frequent winter power outages, driven by extreme weather events and grid reliability concerns. Unlike generators, micr
January 2, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Chicago’s municipal buildings, including airports and water treatment plants, now run entirely on renewable energy, powered by the new Double Black Diamond Solar Farm in Illinois.
January 1, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
In Mexico, extreme heat disproportionately affects young people, with workers aged 18–34 and children under 5 facing the highest heat-related mortality rates. A study analyzing 73
Thermal energy networks, or neighborhood-wide ground-source heat pump systems, are emerging as a revolutionary approach to decarbonizing heating and cooling. These systems use int
December 30, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Texas’s rapid population growth and infrastructure demands pose challenges for equitable development. With $104 billion allocated in the 2025 United Transportation Program, the Te
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Climate Change Superfund Act, requiring fossil fuel companies to pay $75 billion over 25 years for climate damage repair and resilience p
Battery storage for clean energy surged in 2024, with U.S. capacity increasing by 71% to 24 gigawatt-hours. Batteries help reduce reliance on polluting "peaker" plants by storing
December 26, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change
Brooklyn homeowners in historically disinvested neighborhoods are benefitting from EnergyFit, a program retrofitting two- and three-family homes with energy-efficient upgrades.