Madalsa
@madalsa.org
Assistant Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology. I study and teach carbon-constrained energy systems. via Stanford, IIT Bombay. Views mine, many interests.
https://madalsa.org/
https://madalsa.org/
Pinned
Madalsa
@madalsa.org
· Nov 7
I'm hiring PhD students to start in Fall 2026!
Current research interests include energy affordability, integrating hyperscale demand in our electricity grids, and advancing sustainable mobility
Apply by Jan 15, 2026: www.rit.edu/study/sustai...
More info at madalsa.org
Current research interests include energy affordability, integrating hyperscale demand in our electricity grids, and advancing sustainable mobility
Apply by Jan 15, 2026: www.rit.edu/study/sustai...
More info at madalsa.org
Reposted by Madalsa
I finally got what I wanted, a chart that shows how much of a given year a heat pump is suitable for a given climate.
I find that I can get heat pumps to work pretty well in most houses down to 25° or so.
I find that I can get heat pumps to work pretty well in most houses down to 25° or so.
February 8, 2026 at 10:00 PM
I finally got what I wanted, a chart that shows how much of a given year a heat pump is suitable for a given climate.
I find that I can get heat pumps to work pretty well in most houses down to 25° or so.
I find that I can get heat pumps to work pretty well in most houses down to 25° or so.
Reposted by Madalsa
The Indiana House passed a performance-based ratemaking (PBR) bill that would tie regulated monopoly utility profits to the levels of reliability and affordability they provide to ratepayers. It would also ban utility shutoffs during heatwaves. Small steps, but moving in the right general direction.
Indiana lawmakers want to rein in electricity costs. Here's how they plan to do it
Indiana lawmakers crafted a giant bill to address rising electricity rates across the state. Their plans are ambitious, but bipartisan support is pushing the bill through.
www.indystar.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:03 AM
The Indiana House passed a performance-based ratemaking (PBR) bill that would tie regulated monopoly utility profits to the levels of reliability and affordability they provide to ratepayers. It would also ban utility shutoffs during heatwaves. Small steps, but moving in the right general direction.
AV public discourse is almost similar to that of AI, where warranted skepticism against Silicon Valley leads to premature dismissal of and disengagement from the tech. Both AI & AV will proliferate (maybe time for a quicktrip to SF or Phoenix to see for yourself), but WE try to put the guardrails
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Many things are true. Humans are terrible drivers. Waymo doesn't share raw data. Many times, AI/Robots is a person in India/Philippines babysitting. Dead hanging/Congestion is a serious concern. And there are better, cheaper ways to make roads safe.
Many things are true. Humans are terrible drivers. Waymo doesn't share raw data. Many times, AI/Robots is a person in India/Philippines babysitting. Dead hanging/Congestion is a serious concern. And there are better, cheaper ways to make roads safe.
We Still Don’t Know if Robotaxis Are Safer Than Human Drivers
And even if self-driving technology proves to be less dangerous, there are many better ways to improve traffic safety and prevent fatal crashes.
www.bloomberg.com
February 8, 2026 at 6:35 PM
AV public discourse is almost similar to that of AI, where warranted skepticism against Silicon Valley leads to premature dismissal of and disengagement from the tech. Both AI & AV will proliferate (maybe time for a quicktrip to SF or Phoenix to see for yourself), but WE try to put the guardrails
Reposted by Madalsa
Legit concerns about AVs risk metamorphosing into a general panic when these incredible inventions should instead be the tip of a legislative spear for prodding automakers about gaps in their own safety systems. One senator even alluded to the US losing jobs for safety drivers, please be serious.
Once again, it turns out “fully autonomous” means “a guy in the Philippines.”
It Turns Out Waymos Are Being Controlled by Workers in the Philippines
During a Congressional hearing, Waymo's chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, was grilled over the company's reliance on overseas workers.
futurism.com
February 7, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Legit concerns about AVs risk metamorphosing into a general panic when these incredible inventions should instead be the tip of a legislative spear for prodding automakers about gaps in their own safety systems. One senator even alluded to the US losing jobs for safety drivers, please be serious.
Reposted by Madalsa
“I’ve been cast at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony”
“What are you?”
“A stovetop espresso maker.”
“What are you?”
“A stovetop espresso maker.”
February 6, 2026 at 7:13 PM
“I’ve been cast at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony”
“What are you?”
“A stovetop espresso maker.”
“What are you?”
“A stovetop espresso maker.”
Reposted by Madalsa
Current* conditions near Hamilton, ON:
February 7, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Current* conditions near Hamilton, ON:
I tried super hard to stay above and ahead of it, but finally the winter and ~~ everything ~~ is finally getting to me.
February 6, 2026 at 10:13 PM
I tried super hard to stay above and ahead of it, but finally the winter and ~~ everything ~~ is finally getting to me.
Reposted by Madalsa
We are excited to see what you do with this data, and hope to build on this work in the future. You can read our full paper at nature.com/articles/s41467-025-68019-2
This is joint work with Rachel Young, Maria Fitzpatrick, @nkgarg.bsky.social, and @emmapierson.bsky.social! 9/9
This is joint work with Rachel Young, Maria Fitzpatrick, @nkgarg.bsky.social, and @emmapierson.bsky.social! 9/9
Inferring fine-grained migration patterns across the United States - Nature Communications
This study releases a very high-resolution migration dataset that reveals trends that shape daily life: rising moves into high-income neighborhoods, racial gaps in upward mobility, and wildfire-driven...
nature.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:30 PM
We are excited to see what you do with this data, and hope to build on this work in the future. You can read our full paper at nature.com/articles/s41467-025-68019-2
This is joint work with Rachel Young, Maria Fitzpatrick, @nkgarg.bsky.social, and @emmapierson.bsky.social! 9/9
This is joint work with Rachel Young, Maria Fitzpatrick, @nkgarg.bsky.social, and @emmapierson.bsky.social! 9/9
Reposted by Madalsa
MIGRATE is also useful for studying local migration trends. For example, it reveals dramatic rates of out-migration after wildfires in California that are invisible in previous Census datasets. 7/9
February 5, 2026 at 5:30 PM
MIGRATE is also useful for studying local migration trends. For example, it reveals dramatic rates of out-migration after wildfires in California that are invisible in previous Census datasets. 7/9
Reposted by Madalsa
i refuse to cede the em dash to ai. absolutely not you can pry that long thin line from my cold dead hands
February 5, 2026 at 5:31 PM
i refuse to cede the em dash to ai. absolutely not you can pry that long thin line from my cold dead hands
Reposted by Madalsa
Former chairperson of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (the country's largest government-owned oil and gas company) writes an op-ed calling for a focus on industrial decarbonisation
www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead...
www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead...
India’s next industrial shift — electrons over molecules
The age of being powered by molecules, or oil, coal and gas, is now giving way to one where competitiveness is increasingly written in electrons in the form of clean and reliable electricity
www.thehindu.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:40 AM
Former chairperson of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (the country's largest government-owned oil and gas company) writes an op-ed calling for a focus on industrial decarbonisation
www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead...
www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead...
Reposted by Madalsa
I'm told the catastrophic Washington Post layoffs today include at least 14 climate journalists. Totally gutting. Details: www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/washington...
Breaking: Washington Post gutting its climate team
Clean energy dies in darkness. Courtesy of Jeff Bezos.
www.climatecoloredgoggles.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:58 PM
I'm told the catastrophic Washington Post layoffs today include at least 14 climate journalists. Totally gutting. Details: www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/washington...
Reposted by Madalsa
broke: artificial intelligence
woke: spicy autocomplete
bespoke: haunted probability matrix that learned to care
woke: spicy autocomplete
bespoke: haunted probability matrix that learned to care
February 4, 2026 at 6:56 AM
broke: artificial intelligence
woke: spicy autocomplete
bespoke: haunted probability matrix that learned to care
woke: spicy autocomplete
bespoke: haunted probability matrix that learned to care
Reposted by Madalsa
I follow this stuff closely. I wrote about it a few months ago. I'm shocked how fast this is happening for big trucks.
"China’s rapid adoption of electric trucks — which overtook gas-powered vehicle sales for the first time last yea"
"China’s rapid adoption of electric trucks — which overtook gas-powered vehicle sales for the first time last yea"
January 28, 2026 at 6:07 PM
I follow this stuff closely. I wrote about it a few months ago. I'm shocked how fast this is happening for big trucks.
"China’s rapid adoption of electric trucks — which overtook gas-powered vehicle sales for the first time last yea"
"China’s rapid adoption of electric trucks — which overtook gas-powered vehicle sales for the first time last yea"
Reposted by Madalsa
Lead (Pb) in archived hair in Salt Lake City.
"Lead (Pb) in archived hair documents a decline in lead exposure to humans since the establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency "
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
"Lead (Pb) in archived hair documents a decline in lead exposure to humans since the establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency "
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
February 2, 2026 at 11:22 PM
Lead (Pb) in archived hair in Salt Lake City.
"Lead (Pb) in archived hair documents a decline in lead exposure to humans since the establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency "
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
"Lead (Pb) in archived hair documents a decline in lead exposure to humans since the establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency "
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
My favorite detail about Wire Season 2 is that they were always unloading stuff at the docks. Never loading.
Why, for the past 50 years, have US labourers been getting worse at building stuff?
www.ft.com/content/2ae2...
www.ft.com/content/2ae2...
You can see the computer age everywhere but in the construction industry
Making less with more
www.ft.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:47 PM
My favorite detail about Wire Season 2 is that they were always unloading stuff at the docks. Never loading.
Reposted by Madalsa
As a general economic matter, caps on return are bad policy (because risk and return are supposed to be linked, and because it’s the spread against zero-risk rates that matter, not the absolute rate per se.). But I’m glad we’re finally having this conversation. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/b...
Three Hours of Free Power and Other Ideas to Lower Utility Bills
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 4:14 PM
As a general economic matter, caps on return are bad policy (because risk and return are supposed to be linked, and because it’s the spread against zero-risk rates that matter, not the absolute rate per se.). But I’m glad we’re finally having this conversation. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/b...
Reposted by Madalsa
Next time someone asks you about energy and land use, maybe remind them that the ~35 million acres that currently grow corn for ethanol in the US could produce ~15 PWh per year of electricity from solar photovoltaics. That's ~3.5 times more than *total annual generation from all US power plants*.
February 1, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Next time someone asks you about energy and land use, maybe remind them that the ~35 million acres that currently grow corn for ethanol in the US could produce ~15 PWh per year of electricity from solar photovoltaics. That's ~3.5 times more than *total annual generation from all US power plants*.
Reposted by Madalsa
Put another way, we could get rid of corn ethanol, switch 30% of the freed-up farmland to solar to generate 100% of US electricity, and use the other 70% of the freed-up land for whatever we want.
February 1, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Put another way, we could get rid of corn ethanol, switch 30% of the freed-up farmland to solar to generate 100% of US electricity, and use the other 70% of the freed-up land for whatever we want.
Reposted by Madalsa
To meet its current consumption levels with renewable energy, the United States would need the area equivalent to what’s currently used for maple syrup.
February 1, 2026 at 10:06 PM
To meet its current consumption levels with renewable energy, the United States would need the area equivalent to what’s currently used for maple syrup.
Reposted by Madalsa
Put a third way, growing corn for ethanol to move combustion vehicles around uses ~100 times more land than making solar electricity to move electric vehicles around.
February 1, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Put a third way, growing corn for ethanol to move combustion vehicles around uses ~100 times more land than making solar electricity to move electric vehicles around.
i didnt think i could experience joy on the internets anymore
Someone in the Boards of Canada fandom paid thousands of dollars for the copies of rare, tape-only early 1990s tunes ("A Few Old Tunes") — and uploaded new high-quality rips of them today:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=k-e1...
m.youtube.com/watch?v=k-e1...
Boards of Canada - A Few Old Tunes (1996)
YouTube video by Sam
m.youtube.com
February 1, 2026 at 3:41 AM
i didnt think i could experience joy on the internets anymore
Reposted by Madalsa
Part 2: m.youtube.com/watch?v=qCM2...
Boards of Canada - Old Tunes Vol. 2
YouTube video by Sam
m.youtube.com
February 1, 2026 at 3:13 AM
Part 2: m.youtube.com/watch?v=qCM2...
New gas power plant -- behind the meter, only to service datacenter -- on the site of coal-fired power plant in Homer City PA, will generate 4.4 GW of power, as much as peak winter demand of Scotland.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
January 31, 2026 at 4:22 PM
New gas power plant -- behind the meter, only to service datacenter -- on the site of coal-fired power plant in Homer City PA, will generate 4.4 GW of power, as much as peak winter demand of Scotland.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...