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Iain Soutar

@isoutar.bsky.social

13K followers 2.1K following 2.9K posts

Senior Lecturer in Energy Policy at the University of Exeter, UK. Researching change, inertia and public engagement in energy transitions. https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/19656-iain-soutar

experts.exeter.ac.uk

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Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · Feb 23

There's a really healthy community of sustainable energy posters on here now. If you're still on the hunt for new posters to follow, here are some starter packs...🧵

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Reposted by Iain Soutar

ECIU @eciu.net · 45m

Heating engineers urged to sign up to heat pump ‘giveaway’ for their own homes

The ‘start at home’ initiative aims to boost roll out of the clean technology that will be key to phasing out fossil fuel home heating.
buff.ly/Y9B8b2S

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 13h

I know this is uncomfortable to admit, but there is a small area in England's second city where people are just not integrated with the rest of society. Many of them hold views that arguably go against British values.

Yes, we need to talk about the Tory conference in Manchester.

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Robinson Meyer @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social · 16h

NEW: Trump is moving to kill all funding for proposed Texas and Louisiana mega-hubs to capture CO₂ from the atmosphere

The bipartisan-backed hubs represented a rare clean tech industry where the US was on the cutting edge

by @emilypont.bsky.social for @heatmap.news

heatmap.news/politics/doe...

Trump to Cancel Direct Air Capture Hubs in Texas, Louisiana

A new list of grant cancellations obtained by Heatmap includes Climeworks and Heirloom projects funded by 2021 infrastructure law.

heatmap.news

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Energy Systems Catapult @energysyscat.bsky.social · 19h

For almost three decades, the UK energy sector has chased the promise of open data, yet we’re still stuck in pilot mode.

In her guest blog, Dr Ola Michalec, Lecturer at the University of Bristol, explores why progress has stalled, and what it will take to move forward.

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Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · 17h

Ooh, I lost mine in Lac Léman this summer. Might be time to try the detectorists...

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Ember @ember-energy.org · 1d

NEW | Solar and wind OUTPACED global electricity demand growth in the first half of 2025, leading to a fall in fossil fuels compared to this time last year ☀️🌪️

Record solar and steady wind growth is reshaping global power as renewables OVERTAKE coal for the first time.

https://loom.ly/c-MNZSk

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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 3d

"Polarisation may be an unhelpful term .... It implies that both sides are becoming equally extreme. Arguably the real dynamic is that elements of the right have hardened, embracing positions that would have been unacceptable a decade ago" on.ft.com/46TGRHs by @henrymance.ft.com 1/

How polarised is Britain?

Behind media perceptions of a sharpening political divide is a more complicated picture

on.ft.com

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Wolfgang Blau @wblau.bsky.social · 3d

Spot the North-American anomaly: only region where social media use is still growing.
Great work by the FT’s @jburnmurdoch.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/a072... “Have we passed peak social media?”

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Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · 3d

Hay, look

Robert Ferry @robertferry.bsky.social · 3d

It is interesting to see how horse fodder and food was as much a part of our energy mix (20%) in 1820 as coal is today. In 1920 coal was up at 70%. Note these are percentages not quantities.
visualizingenergy.org/americas-ene...

Chart showing United States energy transitions over 200+ years per energy source.

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National Energy Action @nea.org.uk · 3d

Our ‘Introduction to Domestic Energy Efficiency’ course is aimed at frontline staff who give advice or offer support on fuel poverty and energy efficiency: www.nea.org.uk/training/cou...

Reposted by Iain Soutar

Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · 4d

Electricity bills would be higher without wind power.

While electricity costs are largely determined by wholesale gas prices, wind is increasingly driving costs down.

Figure from @eciu.net

Estimated day-ahead prices with different levels of transmission-
connected wind capacity, ranging from 100% to 0% of actual capacity in 2024

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Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · 3d

Support for renewables in the uk are funded through consumer bills, rather than taxation.

Reposted by Iain Soutar

ECIU @eciu.net · 4d

CCC raises alarm over changes to ZEV mandate

Climate Change Committee warns changes to policy could incentivise carmakers to sell more hybrids and PHEVs at the expense of BEV sales, leading to higher emissions.

CCC raises alarm over changes to ZEV mandate

In response to government's request for advice, CCC warns changes to policy could incentivise carmakers to sell more hybrids and PHEVs at the expense of BEV sales, leading to higher emissions

buff.ly

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Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · 4d

There may be some progress in using SAFs, but this story is more about admitting defeat than moving forward.

‘This is real progress’: airlines on sustainable aviation fuels and the chances of net zero flying

The EU and UK have imposed mandates, and investors see its value – but the industry has mixed views

www.theguardian.com

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 4d

"We murdered four guys in international waters, but it's OK* because they definitely absolutely were 'narco-terrorists'"

* Even then, it's not OK. It's a crime.

Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 4d

Don’t believe anyone who tells you that intelligence shows anything “without a doubt,” but even if the intelligence was water-tight, this strike was still murder. No law permits the deliberate, premeditated killing of civilians.

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Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 4d

Measure Twice, Cut Once

xkcd.com/3149/

Comic. “Measure [Twice], cut [Once]” -Carpenty Proverb. [Scatter plot with number of measurements on y axis and number of cuts on x axis. Points in a descending line on graph: surveyor, surgeon, good carpenter, careless carpenter, really bad carpenter, serial killer]

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Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · 4d

Electricity bills would be higher without wind power.

While electricity costs are largely determined by wholesale gas prices, wind is increasingly driving costs down.

Figure from @eciu.net

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Reposted by Iain Soutar

ECIU @eciu.net · 4d

Conservatives announce plans to replace Climate Change Act: comment

“Being a net zero sceptic essentially means you don’t believe in solving climate change."

Conservatives announce plans to replace Climate Change Act: comment

Spokespeople are available for additional comment or interview

buff.ly

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Jens von Bergmann @jensvb.bsky.social · 5d

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Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · 5d

The UK public would also love to know how household energy costs would be reduced.

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Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · 5d

Joking aside, I hope the Conservatives are challenged to reveal what kind of energy system they would actually unleash...

Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · 6d

Does anyone know what Badenoch means by a Cheap Energy Strategy?

Perhaps lots of wind, lots of investment in grid infra, and accelerated electrification of heat and transport?

Kemi Badenoch vows to repeal Climate Change Act

Tory leader says she would replace it with ‘cheap energy’ strategy, ending decades-long consensus on climate

www.theguardian.com

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Federica Genovese @fgenovese.bsky.social · 5d

Darkest lol ever

John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 6d

These World Cup ticket prices may look high, but don't forget the US ones include a month-long stay in an ICE facility.

fact sheet showing INSANE ticket prices for world cup, running from hundreds into thousands of dollars.

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Centre for Sustainable Energy @cse.org.uk · 6d

(🧵1/2)
The fact that hundreds of community groups are branching into heat, transport and #EnergyEfficiency, and reinvesting £24.5 million locally, shows the breadth of what #CommunityEnergy can do.🔌⚡

But scaling won’t happen by default...
(Via: @commenergyengland.bsky.social)
#NetZero #Renewables

A series of charts from Community Energy England showing stats about community energy in the UK. Some key highlights include:
411 MW renewable energy generation capacity. 614 community energy organisations. £68.5m turnover. £24.5m contributed to local economies.

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Rob Cheesewright @robcheesewright.bsky.social · 6d

I can't get over how unserious the Kemi Badenoch Net Zero repeal stuff is. Not only is NZ essentially a fact of science - the only thing that stops the planet warming - but to have nothing to say on what will replace it, what their ambition is, how to replace the business certainly of NZ. Mad.

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Iain Soutar @isoutar.bsky.social · 6d

This is a valuable behind-the-curtain look at how we could get better at meeting UK carbon budgets...

Adam Bell @adambell.bsky.social · 6d

The Climate Change Act has led to a regime in which Government finds itself compelled to make short-run technological choices that may or may not pay off, and to do so via policies that are chock full of unintended consequences. I have written about this before. /1

What's wrong with the Climate Change Act?

Or, how the real Deep State holds back decarbonisation and growth by accident.

unbalancingmechanism.substack.com