Today’s electric grid will need to be reimagined to deliver carbon-free power. MIT’s Jesse Jenkins talks about what a deeply decarbonized electricity system might look like, and how to build it at lowest cost.
The Local View Of Fracking
The view of Americans on the environmental and economic implications of fracking continues to be sharply divided a decade after the shale revolution began. But the author of a new book, The Fracking Debate, finds more nuanced perspectives in wellhead communities.
Corporations Deepen Clean Energy Commitments
U.S. corporations increasingly look to manage their carbon footprints, and energy costs, by entering into clean energy power purchase agreements (PPAs). The contracts offer a tailwind to renewable energy developers, but can challenge traditional utility-customer relationships.
Grid Operator PJM Talks Details of Energy Price Formation
The Energy Department’s proposal to shore up coal and nuclear power plants could undermine the very foundations of competitive electricity markets. PJM Interconnection’s Stu Bresler, SVP for Operations and Markets, weighs in on DOE’s proposal, and offers PJM’s alternative.
India’s Now Or Never Climate Opportunity
Mass migration to India’s cities will triple the size of its built environment by 2030, driving up energy use and carbon emissions. An expert on India’s energy sector looks at the country’s efforts to balance development and climate impact.
Distributed Energy’s Wholesale Opportunity
Owners of rooftop solar could soon begin selling power into wholesale electricity markets, the traditional domain of big coal, gas and nuclear generators. The catch: electricity markets need to get fully behind the switch.
A City Blazes Its Clean Energy Trail
A growing number of U.S. cities have set aggressive clean energy and efficiency targets, but the complexity and cost of energy transition can be daunting. Philadelphia’s Energy Manager offers insights into his city’s new plan to go 100% renewable and cut energy use.
Building Resilient Coastlines
The U.S. government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars over the past decade to rebuild U.S. cities following hurricanes, yet coastlines remain vulnerable to repeat disaster. Two Penn urban policy experts discuss coastal resiliency and the process by which government allocates recovery funds.
The Future Of The EPA And Clean Power
Former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy weighs in on the fate of the Clean Power Plan, and the EPA itself, under current Administrator Scott Pruitt.
Where Coal Mining Brings Environmental Benefits
Can tightly regulated coal mining help undo decades worth of environmental damage caused by the coal industry? A Pennsylvania DEP official, and a mining executive, discuss efforts to remediate water and land in the state’s Anthracite coal region.