Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 16h

"Worldwide, renewables produced more electricity than coal across the first half of this year — a first, according to clean-energy think tank @ember-energy.org." www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle... via @danmccarthy.bsky.social 🔌💡

Chart: In a first, world gets more power from renewables than coal

The world is still burning through enormous amounts of coal, but the energy source is stagnating as renewables — and solar in particular — soar.

www.canarymedia.com

2 6 13

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 16h

"It’s puzzling, then, that the Trump administration is pouring vast government resources into saving aging coal plants and expediting advanced nuclear projects — two sources of energy that are famously financial black holes," writes @emilypont.bsky.social: heatmap.news/politics/tru... 🔌💡

The Fiscal Contradictions of Trump’s Energy Policy

The administration seems to be pursuing a “some of the above” strategy with little to no internal logic.

heatmap.news

1 3

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 17h

"The success of the EPIC program demonstrates that public funding, invested just when startups need it most, can be a lifeline for the clean energy companies that will help us break our fossil fuel habit for good." www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/californias-... by me at Quitting Carbon 🔌💡

California’s energy investments create EPIC opportunity for startups amid Trump's renewables rollbacks

Startups nurtured by California's flagship energy innovation R&D program were featured at the 11th annual EPIC Symposium this week in Sacramento.

www.quittingcarbonmedia.com

1 5

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 20h

My latest at Quitting Carbon: Startups nurtured by California's flagship energy innovation R&D program were featured at the 11th annual EPIC Symposium this week in Sacramento: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/californias-... 🔌💡

California’s energy investments create EPIC opportunity for startups amid Trump's renewables rollbacks

Startups nurtured by California's flagship energy innovation R&D program were featured at the 11th annual EPIC Symposium this week in Sacramento.

www.quittingcarbonmedia.com

3

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 21h

EIA: "An increasing share of U.S. households are using electricity for heating, although natural gas remains the most common heating fuel. In 2024, 42% of U.S. households reported that electricity was their main space heating fuel." www.eia.gov/todayinenerg... 🔌💡

Shares of U.S. households by main heating fuel (2010-2024). Source: EIA.

1 4 10

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 1d

@calenergy.bsky.social: "Coal’s share of California’s power mix would fall to below 0.2% when Intermountain goes offline, placing the Golden State among the least coal-dependent states in the nation – and one of the largest jurisdictions in the world to do so." www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-10... 🔌💡

As Trump embraces dirty fossil fuels, California hits major clean energy milestone, invests over $100 million more in proven technologies

SACRAMENTO – In a strong rebuke to recent federal efforts to halt clean energy progress and expand fossil fuel generation, California continues to lead the nation in building a cleaner, more reliable ...

www.energy.ca.gov

4 6

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 1d

@aaas.org: "If the administration succeeds in its plans to cut the 2026 federal science budget to $154 billion from $198 billion ... it would represent the smallest amount that the federal government has spent on science in this century." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/c... via @alanburdick.bsky.social

A Crushing Year for Science in America

www.nytimes.com

3

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 1d

An update on Dominion Energy's 2.6GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project: “First power will occur in Q1 of next year. And we are still on schedule to complete by late 2026,” a spokesperson told @fieseler.bsky.social: www.canarymedia.com/articles/off... 🔌💡

America’s biggest offshore wind farm will be online in six months

Dominion Energy’s 2.6 GW project off Virginia’s coast is progressing fast. The utility has a new, more definitive target to plug into the grid: March 2026.

www.canarymedia.com

3 9

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 2d

@calenergy.bsky.social approved $42.75m in grants to support floating offshore wind projects at state ports - including $20m for Pier Wind at the Port of Long Beach, $18.25m for the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Terminal: www.offshorewindca.org/s/OWC-Statem... via Offshore Wind California 🔌💡

www.offshorewindca.org

2 4

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 2d

"How can anyone in Congress — Democrats or Republicans — make a budget 'deal' with this administration if we now know the President is going to ignore implementing any part of the 'deal' he wants?" writes @vermontgmg.bsky.social: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/there-is-n...

There is no budget "deal" to be made

President Trump has so broken the constitutional framework as to make joint normal, responsible government impossible.

www.doomsdayscenario.co

1 7 52

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 2d

"The number of PV systems has tripled in the German capital since the start of the solar mandate in 2023." www.cleanenergywire.org/news/city-be... via @cleanenergywire.bsky.social's @samelang.bsky.social 🔌💡

City of Berlin’s solar mandate drives surge in rooftop photovoltaics

www.cleanenergywire.org

2 7

Reposted by Justin Gerdes

Todd Woody @toddwoody.bsky.social · 2d

New: A heat pump that can be installed in minutes is allowing Boston to quickly decarbonize a public housing complex for the elderly and provide air conditioning as climate change-driven heat waves intensify. The window heat pump is made by SF startup Gradient.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Boston Public Housing Upgrades Units With Window Heat Pumps

A pilot project aims to cut heating costs and provide air conditioning while reducing emissions.

www.bloomberg.com

2 30 130

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 3d

"In terms of the share of California's electricity generation mix, solar farms accounted for a record 39% of total utility-supplied generation during January to July, up from 33% during the same period in 2024." www.reuters.com/markets/comm... by @reuters.com's Gavin Maguire 🔌💡

California's electricity output from solar power vs fossil fuels during January to July 2025. Source: Reuters.

4 13

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 4d

@iso-ne.com: "New England’s current power system emissions are well below those observed in the early 2000s and 2010s. Carbon dioxide emissions declined 20% between 2015 and 2024." isonewswire.com/2025/10/03/c... 🔌💡

New England annual power system emissions, 2015-2024. Source: ISO New England.

2

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 4d

ICYMI: Get caught up on energy transition developments you might have missed in my latest roundup of highlights from what I've been reading: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/what-im-read... via Quitting Carbon 🔌💡

What I’m reading: Offshore wind proves its worth, the global solar boom, New York fast-tracks renewables, and more

Quitting Carbon is a 100% subscriber-funded publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation. Welcome back to another recap of highlights from...

www.quittingcarbonmedia.com

1 1

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 4d

"China's exports of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy technologies surged to a record $20bn in August, as the superpower continues to further entrench its dominance of burgeoning global clean tech markets." www.businessgreen.com/news/4519961... via Michael Holder 🔌💡

Study: China's global clean tech exports valued at record $20bn in August

China is further entrenching its dominance of electric vehicle, battery, and renewable energy markets, according to new Ember analysis

www.businessgreen.com

4

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 5d

"Reading about the Palmer Raids today seems shocking ... and yet today, ICE seems to be speed-running the years-long run-up to the Palmer Raids in just a matter of weeks and months," writes @vermontgmg.bsky.social: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/welcome-to...

Welcome to the Era of "Kavanaugh Raids"

ICE crosses another big, important line.

www.doomsdayscenario.co

1 11 30

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 5d

"This time, Trump has gotten Voughtier, and Republicans in Congress have gotten more compliant," writes @zeitlin.bsky.social: heatmap.news/politics/rus...

1

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 5d

"But this is Trump 2.0; where another President might hear words such as 'illegal' and 'unprecedented' as a warning sign, for Trump they are practically an invitation to act," writes @sbg1.bsky.social: www.newyorker.com/news/letter-...

Donald Trump’s Shutdown Power Play

The President learned in 2019 how to undercut Congress in a funding fight, and he’s been making the same move ever since.

www.newyorker.com

2

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 6d

Get caught up on energy transition developments you might have missed in my latest roundup of highlights from what I've been reading: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/what-im-read... via Quitting Carbon 🔌💡

What I’m reading: Offshore wind proves its worth, the global solar boom, New York fast-tracks renewables, and more

Quitting Carbon is a 100% subscriber-funded publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation. Welcome back to another recap of highlights from...

www.quittingcarbonmedia.com

1 4

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 6d

Half of the turbines at Vineyard Wind are generating electricity off Massachusetts: www.eenews.net/articles/vin... via Ben Storrow 🔌💡

Vineyard Wind delivers power despite Trump's attacks on the industry

The partially built wind farm in the Atlantic is delivering power from more than 30 turbines to Massachusetts.

www.eenews.net

4 18

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 7d

My latest at Quitting Carbon: Offshore wind proves its worth, the global solar boom, New York fast-tracks renewables, and more highlights from what I've been reading: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/what-im-read... 🔌💡

What I’m reading: Offshore wind proves its worth, the global solar boom, New York fast-tracks renewables, and more

Quitting Carbon is a 100% subscriber-funded publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation. Welcome back to another recap of highlights from...

www.quittingcarbonmedia.com

3

Reposted by Justin Gerdes

Nicolas Fulghum @nicolasfulghum.bsky.social · 9d

NEW ANALYSIS | Spain is successfully decoupling electricity prices from gas power costs 🇪🇸⚡️

Spain reduced the number of hours where electricity prices exceed gas costs by 75% since 2019.

As a result, Spain's electricity prices were 32% lower than the EU average in H1-2025.

1 22 73

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 9d

"Wright can hate renewables; it doesn’t make sense but that’s his right. But he can’t – or at the very least *shouldn’t* – misinform or mislead the public," writes @douglewin.bsky.social: www.douglewin.com/p/wright-is-... 🔌💡

Wright Is Wrong

www.douglewin.com

2 7 20

Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 9d

Indeed! And to Coco as well!!

1 1 3