Eric Hittinger
@elephanteating.bsky.social
Public Policy Professor at RIT, WILL International Chair at Univ. of Lille & Past President of the US Association for Energy Economics. Batteries, renewables, electricity markets, and emissions. Sometimes I bike across the continent.
Pinned
Decarbonizing the economy is like eating an elephant - you just do it one bite at a time.
....and battery storage!
Science has named the seemingly unstoppable growth of renewable energy worldwide as the 2025 Breakthrough of the Year.
Learn more about this year's #BOTY and other big advances in science: https://scim.ag/493Tpgx
Learn more about this year's #BOTY and other big advances in science: https://scim.ag/493Tpgx
December 19, 2025 at 3:46 AM
....and battery storage!
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
Science has named the seemingly unstoppable growth of renewable energy worldwide as the 2025 Breakthrough of the Year.
Learn more about this year's #BOTY and other big advances in science: https://scim.ag/493Tpgx
Learn more about this year's #BOTY and other big advances in science: https://scim.ag/493Tpgx
December 19, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
Automated Traffic Enforcement cameras managed by civil government. Put them on buses to enforce bike lane violations. Sped the money on bike/ped/transit infrastructure.
December 13, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Automated Traffic Enforcement cameras managed by civil government. Put them on buses to enforce bike lane violations. Sped the money on bike/ped/transit infrastructure.
I consider it a great victory when I can get ~80-90% of my Energy Policy students to say "energy" when they mean "energy" and "electricity" when they mean "electricity". The clarity is important!
This particular crime against meaning actually bothers me relatively little bc electricity people have been incorrectly referring to electricity as electrons in some contexts for a long time, and, worse, like 98% of climate people incorrectly say "energy" when they mean electricity.
December 12, 2025 at 1:22 AM
I consider it a great victory when I can get ~80-90% of my Energy Policy students to say "energy" when they mean "energy" and "electricity" when they mean "electricity". The clarity is important!
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
Snowy egrets nearly went extinct in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Slaughtered for the plume trade, feathers were worth more than gold by weight. Their recovery began after the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act finally gave them strong federal protection from hunters and the peak-plumage fashion craze.
December 8, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Snowy egrets nearly went extinct in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Slaughtered for the plume trade, feathers were worth more than gold by weight. Their recovery began after the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act finally gave them strong federal protection from hunters and the peak-plumage fashion craze.
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
Read this as an American woman and then go break something.
December 8, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Read this as an American woman and then go break something.
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
My friends Emeric and Chris are mad lads of the highest caliber.
Look at what they did to try to save a nuclear plant
Look at what they did to try to save a nuclear plant
December 4, 2025 at 3:29 AM
My friends Emeric and Chris are mad lads of the highest caliber.
Look at what they did to try to save a nuclear plant
Look at what they did to try to save a nuclear plant
Our town's philosophy in a nutshell (spotted at Brighton High School)
December 4, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Our town's philosophy in a nutshell (spotted at Brighton High School)
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
After becoming a congressional leader, a politician’s stock portfolio beats out those of peers by 47 (!!!) percentage points a year through trades timed around bills and firms that later get government contracts
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
December 3, 2025 at 1:42 AM
After becoming a congressional leader, a politician’s stock portfolio beats out those of peers by 47 (!!!) percentage points a year through trades timed around bills and firms that later get government contracts
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
Online survey research is screwed. LLM-enabled agents can take surveys just like humans.
Here's a video I made where the Comet browser agent takes a simple survey and gets around nearly all my bot detection checks.
The crisis is here already...more in this 🧵
www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Je...
Here's a video I made where the Comet browser agent takes a simple survey and gets around nearly all my bot detection checks.
The crisis is here already...more in this 🧵
www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Je...
Comet browser fills out a survey with bot detection questions
YouTube video by John Helveston
www.youtube.com
November 30, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Online survey research is screwed. LLM-enabled agents can take surveys just like humans.
Here's a video I made where the Comet browser agent takes a simple survey and gets around nearly all my bot detection checks.
The crisis is here already...more in this 🧵
www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Je...
Here's a video I made where the Comet browser agent takes a simple survey and gets around nearly all my bot detection checks.
The crisis is here already...more in this 🧵
www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Je...
That isn't me any more - the two primary generations in our Thanksgiving crew was 12 people, then gen2 spouses brought it to around 20, then all of the gen3 kids made it collapse under its own weight like a black hole. We do try to all meet up, but without a meal - no table could hold us.
Shout out to those 30+ yr olds who are still awkwardly at the kids table, but it does mean that you are lucky enough to have most of the older generation still around, so who's to say what is a blessing and what is comedy.
November 27, 2025 at 3:57 AM
That isn't me any more - the two primary generations in our Thanksgiving crew was 12 people, then gen2 spouses brought it to around 20, then all of the gen3 kids made it collapse under its own weight like a black hole. We do try to all meet up, but without a meal - no table could hold us.
Shout out to those 30+ yr olds who are still awkwardly at the kids table, but it does mean that you are lucky enough to have most of the older generation still around, so who's to say what is a blessing and what is comedy.
November 27, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Shout out to those 30+ yr olds who are still awkwardly at the kids table, but it does mean that you are lucky enough to have most of the older generation still around, so who's to say what is a blessing and what is comedy.
High voltage = high bounces
November 23, 2025 at 9:57 PM
High voltage = high bounces
All of my life choices are validated in this moment
November 14, 2025 at 7:01 PM
All of my life choices are validated in this moment
My MS advisor was Swiss and told us that being in the lab nights and weekends was a sign that we were not good at managing time. Don't do it much - it makes both of us look bad.
Having down time and rest should be more of a badge of honour than being busy.
November 13, 2025 at 7:37 PM
My MS advisor was Swiss and told us that being in the lab nights and weekends was a sign that we were not good at managing time. Don't do it much - it makes both of us look bad.
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
What's from Chicago, hates Illinois Nazis, and is holy as fuck?
It's the Pope in 1982.
It's the Pope in 1982.
November 13, 2025 at 1:37 AM
What's from Chicago, hates Illinois Nazis, and is holy as fuck?
It's the Pope in 1982.
It's the Pope in 1982.
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
I wish it were better understood that this is an act of mass murder akin to firing into a large crowd. Impossible to say specifically who will die as a result of this action, but certainty that it will be many.
The Trump admin seems set to force two Colorado coal plants to stay open past their planned closure this year, even as the costs of keeping an aging, unnecessary Michigan coal plant running through the summer top $80M. Are more must-run orders coming?
www.canarymedia.com/articles/fos...
#energysky
www.canarymedia.com/articles/fos...
#energysky
Trump’s DOE may soon force more coal plants to stay open
Colorado coal plants are likely to face DOE orders to keep running past planned closure dates, even as the costs of keeping an old Michigan plant open…
www.canarymedia.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:31 PM
I wish it were better understood that this is an act of mass murder akin to firing into a large crowd. Impossible to say specifically who will die as a result of this action, but certainty that it will be many.
I'm such a nerd for energy data, I probably should have gotten a L2 charger (with this data reporting) sooner. I'm sure I'll figure out something fun to do with this data...
November 12, 2025 at 7:25 PM
I'm such a nerd for energy data, I probably should have gotten a L2 charger (with this data reporting) sooner. I'm sure I'll figure out something fun to do with this data...
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
Those complaining about the high rate of electricity in California, are sort of out of touch with reality. High rates *DONT* mean high bills.
Normal people - i.e. not #energysky - don't care about the RATE they pay, but the BILL at the end of the month.
Californians pay less than 40 states.
Normal people - i.e. not #energysky - don't care about the RATE they pay, but the BILL at the end of the month.
Californians pay less than 40 states.
November 11, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Those complaining about the high rate of electricity in California, are sort of out of touch with reality. High rates *DONT* mean high bills.
Normal people - i.e. not #energysky - don't care about the RATE they pay, but the BILL at the end of the month.
Californians pay less than 40 states.
Normal people - i.e. not #energysky - don't care about the RATE they pay, but the BILL at the end of the month.
Californians pay less than 40 states.
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
Happy There Is A Circulatory System Walking Through The Kitchen Day to all who celebrate.
November 10, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Happy There Is A Circulatory System Walking Through The Kitchen Day to all who celebrate.
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
As a former crystallography student, it gives me great pleasure to see Wegmans experimenting with more dense packing layouts for bottled water.
When I was a student, we had a homework assignment about the most efficient packing method for soda cans!
When I was a student, we had a homework assignment about the most efficient packing method for soda cans!
November 8, 2025 at 6:32 PM
As a former crystallography student, it gives me great pleasure to see Wegmans experimenting with more dense packing layouts for bottled water.
When I was a student, we had a homework assignment about the most efficient packing method for soda cans!
When I was a student, we had a homework assignment about the most efficient packing method for soda cans!
Reposted by Eric Hittinger
I've created a calculator that gives you the right answer 80% of the time and I believe it will change the world
January 27, 2025 at 3:40 AM
I've created a calculator that gives you the right answer 80% of the time and I believe it will change the world
Put it on the front page:
Regular person buys electric vehicle, goes on day-long road trip, no issues
Regular person buys electric vehicle, goes on day-long road trip, no issues
Wife just took the new-ish EV (ID4) for the 6 hr trip to DC. I have to admit that I'm a bit nervous about her charging experience...
(she is a normie, not a clean energy sicko)
(she is a normie, not a clean energy sicko)
November 8, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Put it on the front page:
Regular person buys electric vehicle, goes on day-long road trip, no issues
Regular person buys electric vehicle, goes on day-long road trip, no issues