Dustin Mulvaney

@dustinmulvaney.bsky.social

11K followers 1.1K following 2.7K posts

Professor, Environmental Studies🌎
San José State University @CalState.Bsky.social
Fellow, Payne Institute @ Colorado School of Mines, Climate & Community Institute @cplusc.bsky.social, Switzer Network. www.dustinmulvaney.com
📍Popeloutchom, Monterey Bay 🌅🦦 .. more

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Environmental science 33%

Energy 20%

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Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · Oct 8

Shout out to @motherjones.com for republishing this and adding the alt title.

Trump Team’s Plans to Exploit Public Lands Follow the Blueprint of Reagan’s Interior Secretary. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

The Trump Team's plans to exploit public lands follow the blueprint of Reagan's Interior secretary

James Watt led a similar effort to privatize natural resources for mining, energy development, logging, and sprawl.

www.motherjones.com

Reposted by Dustin Mulvaney

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 2h

Thanks for that info, Kendra and Dustin. I was reading more about the California situation and, while no easy solutions, it seems like this is another case where the scientific/statistical "no effect" assumption as the null hypothesis leads to doing nothing.

California's Wild Turkey Troubles

Some wildlife officials think the turkeys could cause serious damage to the state's ecosystems

www.scientificamerican.com

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Ian Campbell, Charles West , and 7 more Brendan Nyhan, Ian Campbell, Charles West, Dustin Mulvaney, Juan Cole, Cathy N. Davidson, Silvia Secchi, Roopika Risam, Brian Keegan, Manisha Sinha

Vulture @vulture.com · 2h

Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’

Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT

Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’

www.vulture.com

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 2h

California’s turkeys were brought in by fish and game from Texas. Two decades ago they were uncommon in our area; now they’re everywhere. They can be rough on native wildlife, especially lizards and invertebrates, because they forage heavily on the ground.
bsky.app/profile/dust...

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 2d

Why did the turkeys cross the road? 🦃

Reposted by Dustin Mulvaney

Kendra "Gloom is My Beat" Pierre-Louis @kendrawrites.com · 3h

We talk wild turkey (their decline, and resurgence) on today's episode of science quickly.

Reminder wild turkeys, like pumpkins (squash), potatoes, and cranberries are indigenous to the Americas (turkey and cranberries from north America specifically).

Wild Turkeys Went from Almost Gone to Millions Strong

Wild turkeys once nearly disappeared, but today they’re thriving.

www.scientificamerican.com

Reposted by Dustin Mulvaney

Jonathan Thompson at the Land Desk @landdesk.bsky.social · 3h

On Trump's arroyo-phobic Clean Water Act rule
www.landdesk.org/p/on-trumps-...

On Trump's arroyo-phobic Clean Water Act rule

Plus: Congress kills another RMP, sows chaos; Trump endangers Endangered Species Act

www.landdesk.org

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 14h

I’d argue the build rate is basically going to follow the Renewable Portfolio Standards. That’s why all the talk about permitting reform feels like a distraction; if we really want more renewables deployment, the real lever is raising those standards. 🔌💡

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 14h

Oh wtaf?

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 15h

Check out the rest of the elements of the collective bargaining contract proposal here. #AcademicSky #UnionStrong
bsky.app/profile/dust...

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 17h

The 29,000 professors, lecturers, counselors, coaches, and librarians of the CSU seek a successor contract.. 📢 ✊
www.cfabargaining.org

CFA Bargaining

CFA members are bargaining for better working conditions and learning spaces. We are bargaining to lift up our most vulnerable faculty and address long-standing racial, gender, and social inequities.

www.cfabargaining.org

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 17h

The 29,000 professors, lecturers, counselors, coaches, and librarians of the CSU seek a successor contract.. 📢 ✊
www.cfabargaining.org

CFA Bargaining

CFA members are bargaining for better working conditions and learning spaces. We are bargaining to lift up our most vulnerable faculty and address long-standing racial, gender, and social inequities.

www.cfabargaining.org

Reposted by Dustin Mulvaney

J. Mijin Cha @jmijin.bsky.social · 17h

Keeping old coal plants open is so dumb. So, so dumb.

Ofc these costs are going to be passed on to ratepayers.

Cost to keep Michigan coal power plant running under Trump administration orders tops $80 million

An emergency order from the U.S. Department of Energy is requiring the J.H. Campbell power plant near Lake Michigan to remain open.

www.michiganpublic.org

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 18h

First, I think both states are good examples😎 To see it needs earlier data bc CA was far along solar adoption by 2019. IOUs met 2020 rps early bc of pending stepdown/ expiration of tax credit. Data period might have CA utilities using banked credits. Does graph include DERs?
bsky.app/profile/dust...

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 4d

California installed solar capacity just crossed 43 GW.. with another 20 GW in the pipeline. ☀️🔋🔌💡

California is now second to Texas in installed solar, with 23.8 GW operating as of October 2025 and an additional 20.6 GW of grid-scale projects in the pipeline https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/news-insights/research/2025/11/rapid-solar-build-continues-to-cloud-sunny-economics-in-california

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 19h

Re: California vs. Texas, instead of debating who is better at solar we should be asking why places with even more sun, looking at you Arizona and New Mexico, have such low solar adoption.☀️🔌💡

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 6d

A graph you won’t see in a story about Texas’ rapid solar and storage deployment.. 🔌💡 #EnergyTransition

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 19h

Please tell me where you’re getting this “California can’t build” nonsense. Ezra Klein? bsky.app/profile/dust...

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · Sep 22

Public comment just closed on the environmental impact report for the Valley clean infrastructure plan - 21 GW solar + 21 GW storage on 136,000 acres drainage impaired /repurposed farmland connected by 426 miles of transmission. CEQA certification expected late 2025.
ceqanet.lci.ca.gov/2024020124/2

Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan (VCIP)

2024020124 - 2025-08-05 - EIR - Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan (VCIP)

ceqanet.lci.ca.gov

Reposted by Dustin Mulvaney

Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 20h

Meanwhile Texas has also seen a reduction in gas.......because it was replaced with coal (and all the new renewables were diverted to meeting new demand instead of eliminating fossil fuels)

www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...

Reposted by Dustin Mulvaney, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Rob @robertferry.bsky.social · 22h

A look at what is possible.
Could California be done with gas electricity by 2030? The rapid acceleration of battery storage systems seems to point in that direction.

Natural gas use for electricity in California falls as solar generation rises. In green a new layer has been added showing how gas use could fall to near zero by the end of the decade if current trends continue.

Battery storage is the fastest growing resource type in the CAISO balancing area. As of January 1, 2025, limited energy storage resource (LESR) batteries make up nearly 14 percent of the CAISO’s nameplate
capacity. The aqua bars in Figure 2.2 show the steady growth of battery capacity in the CAISO balancing area compared with other resource types.

Nearly half of all projects waiting to connect to the CAISO grid contain a battery component. As of Q2 2025, batteries account for about 46 percent of total capacity in the interconnection queue. Historically, many planned resources drop out before the interconnection process is finished, so much of the capacity currently in the queue is expected to never come on-line.

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 22h

Me with three more lectures to go, 80 something papers left to grade, and RTP committee meeting this afternoon.

Wendy Miller @burrowingowl.bsky.social · 22h

Ugh, I'm so ready for this week to be over. 🪶

Four burrowing owls standing together, waiting for this week to be over.

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 22h

Yes! bsky.app/profile/dust...

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 4d

I opened a paper earlier in the week on solar and farmland that showed up in my inbox as an arXiv preprint, and was about to send a few comments to the author. But then I got a notice from a journal to review the same paper. Small world.

Reposted by Dustin Mulvaney

Wendy Miller @burrowingowl.bsky.social · 22h

Ugh, I'm so ready for this week to be over. 🪶

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 22h

Might be good money in “duck master.”
More than geese?
Cc @solarchase.bsky.social bsky.app/profile/dust...

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 22h

Using natural gas as a proxy for net load on the line chart, shows the duck is learning to fly. 🦆

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 22h

And battery charging / discharging is the new duck curve. 🦆🔋🔌💡

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 22h

Using natural gas as a proxy for net load on the line chart, shows the duck is learning to fly. 🦆

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 23h

💯 ☀️🔌💡 bsky.app/profile/dust...

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 3d

Counting distributed generation, California still leads the United States in installed solar capacity.

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 4d

California installed solar capacity just crossed 43 GW.. with another 20 GW in the pipeline. ☀️🔋🔌💡

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 1d

The other thing consider for when accounting for natural gas is probably should be using a three-year rolling average and not annual given the hydro variability.

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 1d

California gas for electricity tends to vary a bit every year with hydro but the reservoirs are full. Good odds!

Graphic showing all the reservoirs are at or above historic averages at start of rainy season. Probably all managing for flood control so leaving head room.

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 1d

Check out the EIA report that came out yesterday, they note that CEC changed their data collection methodology for gas. Didn’t look at details, but maybe part of the discrepancy? www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...

Natural gas use for electricity in California falls as solar generation rises - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 1d

Update from EIA confirms a decline in natural gas use in California with 2025 data. www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...

Natural gas use for electricity in California falls as solar generation rises

CAISO daily electricity generation by source

Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 1d

SB 237 restricts Kern County’s permitting program to 2,000 wells. These wells are situated in some of the most polluted air sheds in the state.

California’s gasoline is about 40% oil produced in California and Alaska, with the balance imported from Iraq, Brazil, Guyana, Ecuador and Saudi Arabia.

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