Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 10, 2023

Last week, I joined my colleagues at COP28 in Dubai , as negotiators and civil society push for a fossil fuel phaseout to meet climate goals. The industry is pushing a narrative that misleadingly calls out emissions , not fossil fuels as the problem. Source: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report.

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Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 10, 2023

This year has brought new evidence of what major fossil fuel companies knew and when about the role their products play in climate change, as well as what they did in spite of what they knew. But these technologies are no substitute for sharp cuts in fossil fuels if we keep the goals of the Paris climate agreement within reach.

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Renewable Energy 361

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 12, 2022

Earlier this year, The Guardian ran a powerful article exposing the ties of Elsevier, one of the world’s largest academic publishing companies, to the fossil fuel industry. The article caught my attention because I’d never considered the ways in which an academic publisher might be perpetuating and enabling a fossil fuel economy.

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change Clean Energy Paris Agreement 353

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 13, 2022

I was invited to speak at a panel discussion last Wednesday as part of The Economist ’s annual Sustainability Week, titled “What technologies are needed to avert a climate disaster?” True to the theme, I was asked about which technological innovations would be necessary to save our planet. And yet, we aren’t.

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Technology Technology Climate Change Fossil Fuels 260

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

The simple fact is that ditching fossil fuels for low-cost clean energy resources is good for the planet, good for the US economy, and good for public health. The studies the DOE reviewed also found that transmission investments would provide a host of benefits beyond access to clean energy. The good news?

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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 251

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 23, 2025

At present, California effectively has a ban on new nuclear power plants, but some California legislators are interested in rolling that back ostensibly to advance California towards its clean energy goals. The cost of other energy technologies matters as well. So if solar, wind, energy storage, geothermal, etc.

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Nuclear Power Clean Energy Technology Technology 223

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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Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Codifying a floor for renewables in state law is helpful, but clean energy advocates must keep pushing utilities to move more quickly to incorporate higher levels of renewables not only to cut emissions faster, but also because renewables are the most cost-effective resources for ratepayers. What Still Needs to be Done?

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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 329

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 12, 2023

The same scenario has played out with the power plants that use fossil fuels, predominantly methane (“natural”) gas, delivered by pipelines. At the same time, extreme weather events are becoming more common as more fossil fuel is burned and carbon is released into the air. It’s a vicious feedback loop.

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Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity Regulations 216

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 19, 2022

A transition to 100 percent renewable energy is about more than just technology. I also find it fascinating to learn about bigger, more powerful wind turbines that better harness wind energy on land and in the ocean. Just as important, cleaning up the power grid can also decrease carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions.

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Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 24, 2023

The progress in the numbers The new numbers are from the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA), which collects data from power plant operators from across the country. They offer a lot of good news about clean energy progress. Renewables up, coal down More renewable energy is desirable for a lot of reasons.

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Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Solar Power 306

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 252

Enviromental Defense

DECEMBER 29, 2023

Earlier this month at COP28 countries committed to transitioning off of fossil fuels and massively scaling up renewable energy instead. So you’re excused if, like me, you’re baffled by Minister Freeland’s first move in the wake of COP28: a giant new fossil fuel subsidy, via the new Canada Growth Fund.

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Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

You don’t have to look beyond the front pages of newspapers , or beyond rooftops in your neighborhood to know that we are in the midst of a clean energy revolution, with renewable energy technologies dramatically decreasing in price and increasing in availability.

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Law Renewable Energy Clean Energy Fossil Fuels 325

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Communities and ecosystems continue to suffer the consequences of human-caused climate change , primarily from the burning of fossil fuels across our economy. The case for phasing out of fossil fuels and making a just and equitable transition to clean energy has never been more clear. Sources of PM 2.5

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Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution 281

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) research shows that top fossil fuel producers’ emissions are responsible for as much as half of global surface temperature increase. The best solution: Replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. Pitting climate and energy against each other is an insidious lie.

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Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 22, 2024

When it comes to the transition to clean energy, 2023 was quite a year for progress: record-breaking amounts of solar installed in the United States, a solid drop in carbon emissions from the US power sector, more than one million electric vehicles sold in the country for the first time, “breakneck” growth in renewable energy globally, and more.

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Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 12, 2022

We also evaluated the potential to accelerate the use of renewable energy dramatically through state-level renewable electricity standards, which have been major drivers of clean energy in recent decades. What job opportunities would this clean energy transition create?

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Electricity Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nitrogen Oxides 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 1, 2022

First and foremost, despite some fossil fuel interests swinging for the fossil fuel-favored fences, the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA did not revoke EPA’s underlying authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. What the Supreme Court decided in West Virginia v.

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Fossil Fuels Clean Air Act Clean Energy Greenhouse 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 22, 2022

Minnesotans are facing concurrent crises of climate change, high energy prices and inflation, and the inequitable public health impacts of fossil fuel air pollution. Renewable energy will help with all of that—but we need a grid that is designed for wind and solar instead of having to rely on expensive coal and gas plants.

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Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Solar Power Electricity 359

Legal Planet

APRIL 29, 2024

Climate policy has been boosted by dramatic changes in the economics of clean energy. I don’t mean to imply that technological progress will automatically fix things. Cheaper renewable energy attracts private investment and makes limits on fossil fuels more feasible. But it does make other things easier.

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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.

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Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 2027 147

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

VY: Clean energy sources will be absolutely pivotal for an equitable and reliable grid. There’s a wide range of solutions, including integrating solar, wind and other renewable technologies; investing in new transmission; and reducing demand with efficiency measures.

Clean Energy 343

Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Electricity 343

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 19, 2025

By Matthew Carroll, Penn State News Moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like wind and solar will require better ways to store energy for use when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. over the existing technology. million in the United States and found it can improve efficiency by 9.5%

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Technology Technology Renewable Energy Clean Energy 70

Legal Planet

AUGUST 5, 2021

With some notable exceptions, they’ve tended to drag their feet on the energy transition. The proposed Clean Energy Standard is one effort to deal with this problem. A big shift to renewables could leave stranded assets — existing fossil fuel plants that the utility will no longer get paid for using.

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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

JUNE 26, 2024

My testimony highlighted the critical importance of making sure today’s hydrogen policies choose hydrogen production projects and end uses that are truly aligned overall with the clean energy transition. This can sound like an attractive pitch: Turn fossil fuels, the climate problem, into fossil fuels, the climate solution.

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Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Clean Energy 254

Environmental News Bits

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Global spending on clean energy technologies and infrastructure is on track to hit $2 trillion in 2024. Much of this funding is slated to be put toward renewables, electric vehicles, low-emission fuels, storage solutions, nuclear power and other green technology. Read the full story at ESG Dive.

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Clean Energy 2024 Nuclear Power Fossil Fuels 40

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 4, 2024

1 capturing three seats on the board by successfully arguing that ExxonMobil was failing to adapt for the transition to clean energy. The fossil fuel giant now claims to be “aligned” with the Paris climate agreement, all while it continues to massively expand oil and gas exploration and production and lobby against climate action.

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Environment + Energy Leader

JANUARY 6, 2023

On January 11, Jessica Hunt will sit down with Mr. Sakellaris for a discussion on why today’s technology and market dynamics make us uniquely positioned for a turning point from a reliance on fossil fuels and how we can accelerate the transition to alternate energy sources.

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Fossil Fuels Technology Technology Clean Energy 263

New Scientist

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

An old idea to use ocean heat to generate clean electricity has long failed to gain traction, but the technology – known as ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) – is seeing a resurgence of interest from islands dependent on fossil fuels

Ocean 143

Ocean Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity 143

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 291

Enviromental Defense

DECEMBER 2, 2024

By refusing to admit the economic, employment and environmental benefits of clean energy, the government is depriving Ontario ratepayers of more affordable bills and making our electricity dirtier than it has been in years. In fact, studies show that clean energy is a more affordable option than continuing to rely on fossil fuels.

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Electricity Regulations Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels 114

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 15, 2022

And US wind jobs, currently totaling more than 100,000, should grow right along with the technology and the market. From 2010 through 2020, the cost of electricity from wind fell more than 60 percent, according to the Department of Energy. Flickr/Lance Cheung. Wind power is a bargain. J Rogers/UCS. We can do wind power right.

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A Greener Life

AUGUST 30, 2022

The combination of offshore wind turbines, floating solar panels and green hydrogen are some of the hybrid clean energy technologies currently under development off the Dutch coast. . The low-lying European country is using its expertise in water engineering to build up its next wave of clean energy infrastructure.

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