Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 27, 2023

Fossil fuel power plant owners are facing increased accountability for their air and water pollution, including from a new round of environmental and public health protections that are being rolled out by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We’ve heard these lazily disingenuous narratives before.

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Fossil Fuels Electricity 2014 Climate Change 239

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 6, 2025

Clean energy solutions are readily available to help ensure that these failures dont reoccur, and long-range transmission lines are one of the key components of these solutions. Increasing the countrys long-range transmission capacity will allow much more renewable and energy storage capacity to come onto the grid.

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Fossil Fuels Electricity Wind Power Solar Power 266

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 31, 2022

This is exacerbating a crisis in energy insecurity that has only worsened during the pandemic, leaving many more families struggling to pay their bills, facing disconnection, or already shut off from their utility service. And such action cannot be influenced by fossil fuel interests and their policy proposals that we are seeing in Congress.

Clean Energy 241

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity 2020 241

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 17, 2023

The fabulous growth of wind and solar builds on states’ clean energy policy and corporate decarbonization targets. However, great opportunities for more new clean energy supplies to replace fossil fuel energy need supporting grid investments. Where do we go for that modern infrastructure?

Clean Energy 237

Clean Energy Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Regulations 237

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 23, 2023

With the clean energy transition already under way, the US electricity mix is set to continue changing this year. Solar power is expected to make up about half of all additions of US electric generating capacity in 2023, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). I’ll start off with the good.

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Fossil Fuels 2023 Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides 204

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 24, 2023

There’s good news in the recently released official data on electricity generation in the United States in 2022: renewable energy has continued to grow, coal power has continued to drop, and renewables are now firmly ahead of coal for the first time ever. They offer a lot of good news about clean energy progress.

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Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Solar Power 305

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

The legislation committed nearly $400 billion to support, among other things, wind and solar power, battery storage, electric vehicles, and other clean energy technologies that will make a significant dent in US heat-trapping emissions. It also will save US consumers money because they will spend less on fossil fuels.

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Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2030 325

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 19, 2022

The shift from fossil fuels in the 100% RES scenario reduces the amount of harmful air pollution from power plants much more than in our “No New Policy”/business-as-usual scenario. Just as important, cleaning up the power grid can also decrease carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. And our modeling shows renewables’ power.

Renewable Energy 363

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Clean Energy 363

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 13, 2024

As electric vehicle charging stations sprout like mushrooms along our roads and clusters of new wind turbines come online, these two clean energy solutions to the climate crisis are becoming more commonplace. The United States needs to speed its transition to clean energy in order to stave off even worse impacts of climate change.

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Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity Climate Change 241

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 10, 2023

In 2022, the nation experienced 18 disasters with costs exceeding a billion dollars each, and together these disasters caused at least 474 deaths. Together these disasters cost at least $165 billion, making 2022 the third most costly year on record. You can watch her powerful speech here ). Indeed, the math is unrelentingly clear.

Climate Change 261

Climate Change 2022 Fossil Fuels Sea Level 261

Enviromental Defense

DECEMBER 21, 2022

Earlier this month the Government of Canada delivered on a key climate promise and released new rules which end public funding for fossil fuels abroad, starting January 1, 2023. It also begins to align federal spending with a climate-safe future, by prioritizing public dollars towards climate solutions like renewable energy.

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Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Renewable Energy Government 120

Enviromental Defense

NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Joining an ever growing list of countries from around the world, Canada pledged to end public financing for overseas fossil-fuel projects in 2022 and instead prioritize the clean energy transition. This sends an important signal to investors and people around the world that the sun is setting on fossil fuels.

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Fossil Fuels 2022 Clean Energy Climate Change 104

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 26, 2024

And we know that as our climate warms further—driven by burning fossil fuels—the risk of large wildfires will only grow. This alarming finding clarifies the significant role and responsibility of fossil fuel companies to not only stop their harm moving forward, but also to address damage they have already done.

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Climate Change Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity 248

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

That means we’ll need to quickly add additional clean energy policies and policies to phase out fossil fuels just to meet our 2030 goals. That goal was finally met in 2022, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. For the next round of NDCs, the U.S.

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Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement 2005 Climate Change 285

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

They accounted for most of the failed generating capacity in a number of recent extreme weather events, including Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and Winter Storm Elliott in 2022, according to Gas Malfunction , a new Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) issue brief. percent higher than the number of wealthier residents, according to a 2022 UCS study.

Clean Energy 334

Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Electricity 334

Law and Environment

AUGUST 11, 2022

5060 ), titled An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, into law on Thursday August 11, 2022. Reduction of Fossil Fuels. Other provisions include a ban on incentives and rebates from Mass Save related to fossil fuel powered systems, except as backup for electric heat pumps.

Clean Energy 147

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 2027 147

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 31, 2023

The destruction we see today is a direct result of decades of dependence on fossil fuels, enabled by decades of deception and obstruction on the part of the fossil fuel industry, and prolonged by decades of inaction on the part of policymakers who have been in their thrall.

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Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Clean Air Act Pollution Control 235

Legal Planet

APRIL 29, 2024

Climate policy has been boosted by dramatic changes in the economics of clean energy. The Department of Energy estimates the cost of an electric vehicle lithium-ion battery pack declined 89% between 2008 and 2022. Cheaper renewable energy attracts private investment and makes limits on fossil fuels more feasible.

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Fossil Fuels 2008 2010 Clean Energy 279

Enviromental Defense

MARCH 27, 2024

New analysis from Environmental Defence reveals that despite federal government promises, funding to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries remains high Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – New analysis released today by Environmental Defence reveals Canada’s federal government provided at least $18.6

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Fossil Fuels Government Renewable Energy 2028 143

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Following the Minnesota Senate’s approval on February 2 and the House on January 26, the state now has a much-needed update to its clean energy policies that advocates and other leaders have sought for several years. Congratulations, Minnesota!

Electricity 257

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 257

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 11, 2022

The November 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, or BIL, includes an $8 billion “regional clean hydrogen hubs” program that charges the Department of Energy (DOE) with the development of at least four hydrogen hubs to advance the nation’s clean hydrogen sector.

Fossil Fuels 267

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Natural Gas Waste 267

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 30, 2023

On January 26, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed House File 7 —the 100% Clean Energy Bill. Now, with climate and clean energy majorities in both chambers, Minnesota is poised to join other leading states in updating its clean energy policies equitably with benefits for all residents.

Electricity 244

Electricity Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 244

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 30, 2024

Even where the grid still has significant fossil fuel-powered generation, EVs are a cleaner choice. In the grid region that serves most of Texas, driving the average EV produces emissions equal to an 82 MPG gasoline car, despite over 60% of electricity generation coming from fossil fuels.

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Electricity Fossil Fuels 2012 Climate Change 336

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 27, 2022

There is still much we can do to bend that emissions curve sharply within this decade—but only if world leaders, especially leaders of richer countries and major emitting nations, take responsibility to act together quickly and fossil fuel companies are held accountable for their decades of obstruction and deception.

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Fossil Fuels 2030 Clean Energy Climate Change 220

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 16, 2022

The Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) is one of the go-to sources for reliable information about the US power sector. They just released their 2022 “Annual Energy Outlook” (AEO), which is a big deal: it tells us where electricity is headed over the next 30 years. Carbon emissions remain high.

Natural Gas 291

Natural Gas Renewable Energy Climate Change Electricity 291

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 12, 2024

However, as we replace fossil fuels with clean electricity for heating and transportation to meet our climate goals, these peak demands will increasingly shift to the winter in many parts of the country. It’s worth delving into because it has some important implications for our clean energy future.

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Fossil Fuels Electricity 2030 Clean Energy 280

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 4, 2023

The state’s grid reliability is also inextricably linked to issues of improving energy affordability and achieving California’s ambitious clean energy goals. It would change Western energy markets. California has already taken steps toward these energy markets. What is Western grid regionalization?

Clean Energy 283

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity 2018 283

Enviromental Defense

JULY 24, 2023

As countries around the world grapple with eliminating their own fossil fuel subsidies, Canada has set a strong global precedent. This is alarming given that Canada is one of the largest providers of fossil fuel financing in the G20. Canada ranks among the worst in the G20 for providing fossil fuels public financing.

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Fossil Fuels Government Renewable Energy Clean Energy 95

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 31, 2022

On the last day of the 2022 Minnesota legislative session, state legislators had a real case of the Mondays: They failed to deliver on climate and energy policies that would have accelerated renewable energy enough to forge a clear path to carbon-free electricity and set the state on track to meet science-based emission reduction targets.

Renewable Energy 246

Renewable Energy Clean Energy Electricity Fossil Fuels 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

While the epicenter of the war and its horrors has remained trained on and in Ukraine, Russia has also leveraged its position as a major fossil fuel exporter to fund its war efforts and to manipulate and threaten others, including countries across Europe that have long relied on Russian supplies of gas. Credit: U.S. Credit: U.S.

Fossil Fuels 235

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Carbon Dioxide Natural Gas 235

Legal Planet

JULY 29, 2021

On Wednesday, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed a package of four clean energy bills. These laws ban new fossil fuel plants and set aggressive targets for the state’s two major utilities, requiring emission cuts of 80% by 2030, 90% by 2035 and 100% by 2040. These bills move Oregon to the forefront of climate action.

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Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Renewable Energy 2010 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 29, 2022

That requires bringing global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050. To meet that goal, the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Roadmap released in 2021 says no new oil and gas supply projects can come online. DO: Pay your fair share of the costs of climate change. Chevron alone is facing a $9.5

Fossil Fuels 279

Fossil Fuels Coastal Erosion Carbon Dioxide Biofuels 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 17, 2023

cranks its air conditioners to get through historic high temperatures , the need for energy that slows, not hastens, climate change is more apparent than ever. Yet, in 2022, almost 40% of electricity in the US was generated by power plants fueled by natural gas. And now, as the U.S.

Fossil Fuels 232

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Nitrogen Oxides Electricity 232

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 23, 2024

Both fossil fuel and utility companies bear some responsibility for wildfires’ damage, and must be held accountable to ensure disadvantaged and low-income communities aren’t left to shoulder the costs and impacts of these disasters. Emissions traced to fossil fuel companies, on the other hand, have contributed to 19.8

Fossil Fuels 277

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Electricity 2019 277

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 29, 2022

Enter the late-July announcement of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022—our chance to get back on track. How the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will accelerate necessary change. On the other hand, Congress’s wholesale abandonment of wide-ranging climate investments could not be similarly recast. It was bad news all the way down.

Clean Energy 265

Clean Energy 2005 2030 Fossil Fuels 265

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 10, 2024

In New England, the percent of people of color living near fossil fuel power plants is up to 23.5 Dominion Energy is pushing to build the largest gas peaker plant in Virginia in an area where 44% of the residents are people of color and 25% are low income.

Fossil Fuels 297

Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Air Pollution 297

Law and Environment

JULY 1, 2022

EPA on Thursday, June 30, 2022, curbing the power of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants across the country. The decision focuses on EPA’s authority under a specific section of the Clean Air Act. What does this mean for clean energy projects?

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Clean Energy Climate Change Clean Air Act Greenhouse 130