‘You can politicize it all you want, but in the end economics is really what drives it.’
Renewable energy
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Citizens put renewable energy on this year’s ballots
Across several states, voter-driven initiatives rein in oil-and-gas development while promoting wind and solar.
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California commits to 100 percent clean energy
The bill requires California to meet the ambitious goal by 2045.
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Arizona’s nuclear power caught in crossfire
A renewable energy ballot measure could up the state’s reliance on cleaner energy.
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Utilities should dump coal to lower power bills
Coal-fired plants are more expensive than renewable alternatives like wind power.
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Politics are behind a plan to prop up coal and nuclear
Discussion of a ‘grid emergency’ ignores cheaper alternatives like solar and wind.
Posted inJune 25, 2018: Little Weed, Big Problem
Trump’s coal and nuclear bailout helps execs and hurts the grid
In a heavy-handed directive, the Department of Energy caters to industry barons.
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Solar energy deserves a place on public lands
Prioritizing oil and gas over renewables ignores market forces and climate concerns.
Posted inJuly 23, 2018: Pay for Prey
How California is bringing solar energy to low-income renters
An array on an infamous down-and-out building makes solar more equitable.
Posted inJune 25, 2018: Little Weed, Big Problem
Trump administration pauses California’s solar energy truce
The decision imperils the balance between desert conservation and development.
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A revolution in hydropower makes waves in rural Colorado
Big dams were the hydro giants of yesteryear. The future of hydropower is small.
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Bail out coal communities, not coal executives
The good times are over for the coal industry. It’s time to move on.
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Myths about rooftop solar are outshining the reality
Falsehoods about net metering have held it back in Western states.
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The takedown of the Clean Power Plan begins
Scott Pruitt helps Trump deliver on campaign promise: Reduce EPA to ‘little tidbits.’
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Trump considers tariffs on solar industry
Cheap solar panel imports damage domestic sales, and curbing them could drive prices up.
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West Obsessed: The battle over solar energy
High Country News delves into a win for Nevada’s solar customers and what it means for the grid.
Posted inSeptember 18, 2017: No Hoax
Can coal remain the bedrock of Wyoming’s economy?
As companies experiment with ‘clean coal,’ cheaper and cleaner fuels are taking over.
Posted inAugust 21, 2017: Rooftop Revolution
In solar scuffle, big utilities meet their match
Solar advocates win a surprising victory in Nevada.
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In California, a bipartisan win for cap and trade
The state Legislature extends groundbreaking climate legislation.
Posted inAugust 21, 2017: Rooftop Revolution
One grid to rule them all
And in the darkness, bind them: The West’s bid for one big electric grid.