👋 Hello and welcome to the last edition of Energy News Weekly of the year! We’ll be off next week for the holidays, but will return in January.
In the meantime, check out ten of our best Energy News Network stories from the past year, from tackling toxic coal ash in Puerto Rico to electrifying buildings in snowy Maine.
Heating and cooking aren’t the only sources of building emissions: In Massachusetts and beyond, advocates and policymakers are starting to tackle the carbon footprint of all the materials and labor that goes into new buildings.
Detroit resident ‘leads with love’ while laying a foundation for neighborhood climate resiliency: On Detroit’s east side, Tammara Howard is leading efforts to build a network of climate resilience hubs to help residents thrive amid a changing climate.
For tree-sitter, no hiding from heartbreak of deal to greenlight Mountain Valley Pipeline: The federal government’s approval of the contentious Mountain Valley Pipeline brought heartbreak for Theresa “Red” Terry and other Virginia advocates.
Who decides where we get electricity and how much we pay? Mostly White, politically connected men: A pair of studies showed how public utility commissions, which have control over electricity rates and sources, don’t look like the people they represent.
For this immigrant-led clean energy company, perspective is everything: A Chicago-area engineer and CEO with roots in Ghana, Senyo Ador and his Sẽsẽnergi Eco Solutions Enterprise is helping the next generation of energy workers find their footing.
Making Maine’s next generation of housing fossil-free — and affordable: Maine’s population is growing faster than its housing supply, and advocates say that gives the state an opportunity to build out denser, all-electric, energy efficient housing.
In Puerto Rico, residents wait for accountability, cleanup of toxic coal ash ‘caminos blancos’: Two decades after a Virginia-based power company sold toxic coal ash to Puerto Rico towns as a cheap material for road construction, residents are fighting for cleanup and accountability.
With N.C. home efficiency codes frozen, advocates eye other opportunities: After North Carolina’s building industry lobbied to stave off new energy-efficient building codes for years, advocates are looking to federal tax credits and utility incentives to clean up building emissions.
Low-emissions steelmaking could be big business for Minnesota’s Iron Range, experts say: We finished out the year with this collaboration with Minnesota’s KAXE/KBXE, diving into ways the state can clean up its emissions-heavy taconite mining industry.
More clean energy news
🤝 COP’s big deal: The COP28 climate summit ends with the first-ever global agreement to begin “transitioning away from fossil fuels,” though some leaders acknowledge the pact is nonbinding and should’ve been reached years ago. (Politico)
🎓 America’s climate report card: Climate and clean energy experts grade U.S. climate progress in 2023, from an A- for clean energy investments to an F for its patent system that keeps critical breakthroughs private. (Grist)
🛢️ Normalizing carbon capture: The rising viability of carbon capture worries climate scientists, who say oil and gas producers could use it as a loophole to keep drilling. (E&E News)
⚡ Sidestepping gas bans: Western cities find innovative ways to push building electrification — such as setting emissions targets and restricting indoor air pollution — that don’t violate a court order prohibiting natural gas hookup bans. (Grist)
🔌 EV charging inconsistencies: Experts say the electric vehicle charger industry faces a big dilemma as it aims to normalize charging standards and software among several manufacturers. (Canary Media)
🧊 DEI efforts stall out: Efforts to diversify environmental organizations appear to have stalled or even lost ground, according to a new analysis, potentially jeopardizing the fight for equitable climate solutions. (Axios)
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