Justin Gerdes
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justingerdes.bsky.social
Justin Gerdes
@justingerdes.bsky.social
I publish the Quitting Carbon newsletter. Subscribe: https://www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/. Former Managing Editor, Energy Monitor. Send story ideas or tips: [email protected] or Signal: JustinGerdes.85
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Some personal news: I'm very excited to share that I'm launching a newsletter called Quitting Carbon, focused on the projects, people, and policies advancing the energy transition. Read more about what I'll be up to and subscribe! www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/welcome-to-q...
Welcome to Quitting Carbon
Reporting and analysis on the projects, people, and policies advancing the energy transition. Welcome to Quitting Carbon, a newsletter that will chronicle the most important story of our lives: human...
www.quittingcarbonmedia.com
"This is what it looks like when ideology drives energy policy. Keeping money-losing plants online skews the market, making it harder for companies to invest in the infrastructure of the future." writes the @washingtonpost.com editorial board: wapo.st/4kkqSsj 🔌💡
Opinion | Trump’s pro-coal directives could raise energy prices by billions
Requiring aging plants to operate after their scheduled closures hurts consumers, who pay the price.
wapo.st
February 1, 2026 at 3:55 AM
I've heard the same thing time and again from startups nurtured by grants from @calenergy.bsky.social's EPIC R&D program: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/californias-... 🔌💡
January 31, 2026 at 7:40 PM
“To say that we were a CARB-seeded company is an understatement. The CARB grant was the validation of our technology that we wanted to then raise private capital and actually really start a company,” actor and "CARB wonk" Edward Norton told @noahbaustin.bsky.social: www.politico.com/newsletters/...
The actor hulking out on California’s air quality rules
Edward Norton has played many roles: The Hulk. The split-personality fighter. And the executive spearheading technology to comply with air quality regulations.
www.politico.com
January 31, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Reposted by Justin Gerdes
My latest at Quitting Carbon: An early look at draft policies that could be brought to @airresources.bsky.social in 2027 to reduce emissions from the aviation industry in California: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/heres-how-ca... 🔌💡
Here’s how California plans to reduce emissions from aviation in the Golden State
An early look at draft policies that could be brought to the California Air Resources Board in 2027 to reduce emissions from the aviation industry in the state.
www.quittingcarbonmedia.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Justin Gerdes
Cutting aviation's climate footprint is notoriously a "wicked" problem to solve, so it is good to see California regulators focusing on this. I just helped @cetransition.bsky.social with a 101 paper summarizing solutions for aviation's climate impacts which was released yesterday.
January 31, 2026 at 12:09 AM
Aviation is one of the most intractable climate puzzles to solve. So, it should be welcome news to policymakers everywhere that California regulators have stepped up to rein in emissions from the sector: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/heres-how-ca... by me at Quitting Carbon 🔌💡 #ClimateSky
Here’s how California plans to reduce emissions from aviation in the Golden State
An early look at draft policies that could be brought to the California Air Resources Board in 2027 to reduce emissions from the aviation industry in the state.
www.quittingcarbonmedia.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:53 PM
"Forgoing gas saves his company $3,000 per lot, and allowed it to deliver the sites to homebuilders more quickly, lowering construction costs and yielding a faster investment return." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/29/c... by @carabuckley.bsky.social 🔌💡
Why a New Mexico Developer Quit Natural Gas
www.nytimes.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:12 PM
My latest at Quitting Carbon: An early look at draft policies that could be brought to @airresources.bsky.social in 2027 to reduce emissions from the aviation industry in California: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/heres-how-ca... 🔌💡
Here’s how California plans to reduce emissions from aviation in the Golden State
An early look at draft policies that could be brought to the California Air Resources Board in 2027 to reduce emissions from the aviation industry in the state.
www.quittingcarbonmedia.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:50 PM
January 30, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Reposted by Justin Gerdes
Coal is on its way out of the EU electricity system, falling to a HISTORIC low of 9.2% in 2025 📉

In 19 EU countries, coal generates less than 5% of electricity.

And Ireland fully phased out coal last year 🇮🇪

https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/european-electricity-review-2026/
January 30, 2026 at 7:00 AM
"Electric and gas utilities requested almost $31 billion worth of rate increases in 2025, according to an analysis by the energy policy nonprofit PowerLines released Thursday morning, compared to $15 billion worth of rate increases in 2024." heatmap.news/sparks/power... by @zeitlin.bsky.social 🔌💡
Utilities Asked for a Lot More Money From Ratepayers Last Year
A new PowerLines report puts the total requested increases at $31 billion — more than double the number from 2024.
heatmap.news
January 30, 2026 at 4:38 AM
"Across the country, tribal clean energy groups that have had federal funding taken away by the Trump administration are struggling with similar challenges — and looking for ways to salvage the work they’ve already begun," writes @jeffstjohn.bsky.social: www.canarymedia.com/articles/cli... 🔌💡
After Trump’s clean-energy clawback, tribes ‘turn and face the storm’
The administration ripped away hundreds of millions of dollars for clean energy projects on tribal lands. Now tribes are fighting to salvage their work.
www.canarymedia.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:29 PM
"Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm, Thor, has received approval to begin supplying power. The wind farm, led by RWE, is expected to deliver green electricity to around one million households by 2027." stateofgreen.com/en/news/denm... via State of Green 🔌💡
Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm gets green light to deliver power
Read more about 'Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm gets green light to deliver power' and explore related news and solutions on stateofgreen.com.
stateofgreen.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:47 PM
"The Department of Energy on Thursday confirmed the cancellation of a $1.8-billion clean energy loan commitment to Arizona Public Service, the largest investor-owned utility in that state." www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-nix... via @dianadigangi.bsky.social 🔌💡
DOE nixes $1.8B loan to Arizona Public Service for transmission, renewables and storage
“Additional de-obligations are in process but cannot be publicly disclosed until finalized,” said Olivia Tinari, deputy press secretary for DOE’s Office of Public Affairs.
www.utilitydive.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:20 PM
@americancleanpower.bsky.social: "Cancelling five major offshore wind projects could raise electricity costs for customers on the east coast by an estimated $45 billion over the next decade." cleanpower.org/news/new-ana... 🔌💡
January 29, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Trump officials have delayed finalizing the repeal of EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding” because of concerns the proposal is too weak to withstand a court challenge, reports @jakespring.bsky.social: wapo.st/4riopkl
Trump’s biggest climate rollback stalls over fears it will lose in court
Trump officials have delayed finalizing the repeal of the agency’s “endangerment finding” over concerns the proposal is too weak to withstand a court challenge.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 29, 2026 at 6:18 PM
"The main grid in Western Australia – the biggest isolated grid in the country and the world – has hit a remarkable new renewables peak of 91.1 per cent, driven entirely entirely by wind and solar, and mostly by rooftop PV." reneweconomy.com.au/worlds-bigge... via @gilesparkinson.bsky.social 🔌💡
World's biggest isolated grid sets remarkable wind and solar peak of 91.1 pct, as batteries displace coal and gas
The biggest isolated grid in Australia, and the world, hits a remarkable wind and solar peak share of 91 pct, and as its big batteries displace coal and gas in evening peaks.
reneweconomy.com.au
January 29, 2026 at 6:51 AM
Here's a helpful explainer by @emilypont.bsky.social about how this Michigan antitrust lawsuit differs from the previous cases brought by cities and states against Big Oil: heatmap.news/climate/mich...
January 29, 2026 at 6:46 AM
"U.S. public charging networks had a growth spurt last year, according to a report released today by data analytics firm Paren. And the new chargers are working more reliably and being used more heavily than ever," reports @jeffstjohn.bsky.social: www.canarymedia.com/articles/ev-... 🔌💡
EV charging keeps expanding despite Trump
The U.S. added a record number of public electric-vehicle fast chargers last year, keeping up with demand from growing number of EV owners.
www.canarymedia.com
January 28, 2026 at 10:36 PM
"But under a new proposal before North Carolina regulators, [solar] project owners could lock in favorable long-term renewals pending one main condition: They have to add batteries." www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol... by @elizouzts.bsky.social 🔌💡
North Carolina may use batteries to give new life to old solar farms
A Duke Energy proposal backed by clean energy groups would let older solar farms renew their expiring contracts on favorable terms — if they build storage.
www.canarymedia.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Reposted by Justin Gerdes
NEW: Expensive gas still biggest driver of high UK electricity bills, says UKERC

"Volatile, gas-linked market prices – not green policies, as some misleading claims have suggested – dominate the real-terms increase in bills since 2021."

www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
January 28, 2026 at 9:03 AM
ICYMI: UK unveils Warm Homes Plan, U.S. and global transit expansion, research roundup, and more highlights from what I've been reading: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/what-im-read... 🔌💡
What I’m reading: UK unveils Warm Homes Plan, U.S. and global transit expansion, research roundup, 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
January 28, 2026 at 5:44 PM
The great post below by @parkermolloy.com touches on why I was so frustrated by the @politico.com White House team's failure to challenge the Trump administration's bogus energy affordability talking points: www.quittingcarbonmedia.com/the-trump-ad... 🔌💡
January 28, 2026 at 12:19 AM
Congrats, Dave!! I edited @davekeating.substack.com's reporting and commentary for two years at Energy Monitor. He is a Brussels-watcher and analyst of transatlantic relations without peer. Buy his new book, The Owned Continent: theownedcontinent.eu
January 28, 2026 at 12:06 AM
"Civil prosecutions of illegal pollution plummeted to historically low levels during the first year of President Trump’s second administration," according to @peer.org: peer.org/under-epas-z...
Under EPA’s Zeldin, Pollution Enforcement Dying a Quick Death
Department of Justice Civil Pollution Settlements Plummet to Record Lows
peer.org
January 27, 2026 at 11:32 PM