Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 11h

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed 3 bills aimed at boosting virtual power plants. Advocates say they could’ve helped curb sky-high electricity prices.

Why did Newsom veto California’s virtual power plant bills?

Supporters say the bills would have helped ease the state’s energy affordability crisis while strengthening grid reliability.

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 13h

America’s fledgling carbon-removal industry is on edge after federal funding cuts — and further rollbacks could follow.

Is Trump about to squash America’s carbon-removal moonshot?

Nascent direct air capture projects were hit with funding cuts last week. A new list has caused confusion over the fate of DAC hubs in Louisiana and Texas.

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 15h

Solar generated a record portion of California’s power this year, while fossil fuels fell to new lows.

Solar is crushing gas power in California this year

The state’s combination of solar and battery plants have pushed clean generation of electricity to new heights, offering a welcome reprieve from high gas…

www.canarymedia.com

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Reposted by Canary Media Inc.

Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 16h

California could save billions of dollars in grid and energy costs by tapping rooftop solar, batteries, EVs, and smart appliances as virtual power plants. Why did Governor Gavin Newsom veto three widely supported VPP bills meant to enable those savings?
www.canarymedia.com/articles/vir...
#energysky

Why did Newsom veto California’s virtual power plant bills?

Supporters say the bills would have helped ease the state’s energy affordability crisis while strengthening grid reliability.

www.canarymedia.com

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Reposted by Canary Media Inc.

countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 1d

"The closure in New Hampshire — so far undisputed by the federal government — demonstrates that prolonging operations at some facilities just doesn’t make economic sense for their owners." Clean energy makes sense economically. www.canarymedia.com/articles/fos...

New England’s final coal plant shuts down years ahead of schedule

Poor economics drove the aging New Hampshire plant offline three years early, even as the Trump administration pushes to revitalize coal.

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 1d

Canary Media returns to the Bay Area on November 6, with @calenergy.bsky.social Chair David Hochschild headlining the night. Get your ticket today!
www.eventbrite.com/e/canary-liv...

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 1d

The U.S. is home to more than 300 ports, and there’s a lot to decarbonize at each one.

Here’s how the Port of Cleveland is leading the way with rooftop solar and electric cargo-handling equipment.
www.canarymedia.com/articles/sea...

Major Midwest port begins electrifying operations to reduce emissions

The Port of Cleveland is adding charging ports, batteries, and solar to its main warehouse — work funded by a federal program that has so far survived…

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 1d

From the Big Beautiful Bill to state permitting challenges, community solar’s struggles are piling up.

Community solar set to struggle amid federal and state headwinds

Installations of the shared-solar arrays fell by 36% in the first half of 2025, and the longer-term outlook is sluggish, too.

www.canarymedia.com

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Christian Roselund @roselund.bsky.social · 1d

Some interesting stuff in this latest @canarymedia.com article. For one, it makes me chuckle to hear @jessejenkins.bsky.social say "“There’s nothing impossible about 100% renewable supply," remembering old arguments (we agree more often than not these days). /1

www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...

As coal fades, Australia looks to realize dream of 100% renewable…

The country’s grid operator says shifting from coal to clean power is not only possible but inevitable. The work there could provide a road map for other…

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 1d

New England has said its final goodbye to coal power. Here’s how a transition to gas — and now renewables — helped shut its last plant down early.

New England’s final coal plant shuts down years ahead of schedule

Poor economics drove the aging New Hampshire plant offline three years early, even as the Trump administration pushes to revitalize coal.

www.canarymedia.com

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Reposted by Canary Media Inc.

New Hampshire Bulletin @newhampshirebulletin.com · 1d

"As has been happening for years, the U.S. could continue to lose gigawatts of power as hydroelectric facilities shut down rather than absorb the high costs of relicensing — especially with cheaper competition from gas, wind, and solar." From @alexckaufman.bsky.social via @canarymedia.com

US hydropower is at a make-or-break moment • New Hampshire Bulletin

For nearly a century, the Kelley’s Falls Dam in Manchester, New Hampshire, generated as much as 2,400 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.

newhampshirebulletin.com

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Dr Paul Dorfman @drpauldorfman.bsky.social · 1d

As coal fades, #Australia looks to realize dream of 100% #renewables. The country’s grid operator says shifting from #coal to clean power is not only possible but inevitable.
www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...

As coal fades, Australia looks to realize dream of 100% renewable…

The country’s grid operator says shifting from coal to clean power is not only possible but inevitable. The work there could provide a road map for other…

www.canarymedia.com

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Reposted by Canary Media Inc.

K.M. Kowalski @kmkowalski.bsky.social · 2d

Decarbonization work sails ahead at the Port of Cleveland and elsewhere on the Great Lakes. @canarymedia.com @ejtodaynews.bsky.social www.canarymedia.com/articles/sea...

Major Midwest port begins electrifying operations to reduce emissions

The Port of Cleveland is adding charging ports, batteries, and solar to its main warehouse — work funded by a federal program that has so far survived…

www.canarymedia.com

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Reposted by Canary Media Inc.

Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 1d

Nice @canarymedia.com piece here on renewable energy integration efforts in Aus

Honestly this is much more about 50 - 85% than it is about 100%, which is essentially irrelevant to the next few decades

The big problem at the moment: not enough wind + massive new demand means coal *isn't* fading

As coal fades, Australia looks to realize dream of 100% renewable…

The country’s grid operator says shifting from coal to clean power is not only possible but inevitable. The work there could provide a road map for other…

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 2d

Clean energy investment is shrinking in the U.S. But in the rest of the world, it’s on the rebound.

Chart: Global investment in renewables hits record even as US falters

Over the first six months of this year, a total of $386 billion flowed to renewable-energy projects — 10% more than one year prior.

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 3d

Inside Trump’s new coal-boosting plan, what the shutdown means for energy, and the end of EV tax credits — catch up on it all with our weekly newsletter:

Trump’s sweeping plan to prop up coal

Coal’s health and climate impacts get no mention in the administration’s latest attempt to breathe life back into the industry.

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 3d

In Illinois, one utility’s years-long interconnection queue could keep community solar arrays from tapping federal incentives before they expire.

Interconnection bottleneck threatens community solar success in…

One of the state’s largest utilities, Ameren, takes years to approve projects. That’s creating headaches for developers racing to use expiring federal tax…

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 4d

Grid-boosting transmission, microgrid, and clean energy projects are all at risk under new Trump administration cuts. Almost all of them were supposed to benefit Democratic-voting states.

Trump admin targets blue-state grants meant to ease US electricity…

But red states will also suffer from the rollback of billions in funding to help bring cheaper, more reliable power to regions across the country.

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 4d

North Carolina removed Duke Energy’s decarbonization deadline. The utility promptly slashed its renewable power plans.

Duke Energy backs off renewables after North Carolina cuts climate…

The state repealed the utility’s 2030 emissions target in July. Duke’s response? A plan to slash solar and wind, double down on gas — and burn more coal.

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 4d

Hundreds of U.S. hydroelectric facilities will have to be relicensed in the next decade. Mounting costs and layers of bureaucracy could force many to shut down.

US hydropower is at a make-or-break moment

Gigawatts of clean energy are at stake as aging hydropower plants approach deadlines for relicensing — a yearslong, often extremely expensive process.

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 5d

Canary Media returns to the Bay Area next month! Check out who’s speaking and get your tickets here:

Canary Live Bay Area

Join the Bay Area's clean energy community for an evening of expert insights, networking, drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and live music.

www.eventbrite.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 5d

Inside the Trump administration’s sweeping new plan to prop up coal — despite the financial, health, and climate case against doing so.

Trump’s sweeping plan to prop up coal

Coal’s health and climate impacts get no mention in the administration’s latest attempt to breathe life back into the industry.

www.canarymedia.com

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Reposted by Canary Media Inc.

Sue Sturgis @suesturgis.bsky.social · 5d

“It’s certainly a regressive vision for North Carolina’s energy future,” said Josh Brooks, chief of policy strategy and innovation for the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association.

Duke Energy backs off renewables after North Carolina cuts climate…

The state repealed the utility’s 2030 emissions target in July. Duke’s response? A plan to slash solar and wind, double down on gas — and burn more coal.

www.canarymedia.com

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Reposted by Canary Media Inc.

Industrious Labs @industriouslabs.bsky.social · 6d

EV, packaging, construction, solar, and many other companies are "sourcing more of the relatively clean material as they work to reduce carbon emissions from their own supply chains."

@mariagallucci.bsky.social reports on increased demand for scrap #aluminum.

www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...

Trump’s tariffs spur US aluminum industry to boost recycling

Producers were already looking to recycled aluminum to help lower carbon emissions. Now, under Trump’s trade policy, demand for scrap is even higher.

www.canarymedia.com

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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 5d

Investors are the world are pouring more money into renewable energy than ever — even as they pull back on spending in the U.S.

Chart: Global investment in renewables hits record even as US falters

Over the first six months of this year, a total of $386 billion flowed to renewable-energy projects — 10% more than one year prior.

www.canarymedia.com

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