Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 16, 2023

I usually try to stay in my cozy power sector bubble, plugging away on electricity grid decarbonization. But this new study from my colleagues working on climate change and fossil fuel accountability couldn’t be ignored. Source: The Fossil Fuels Behind Forest Fires , UCS. That equates to 19.8

Fossil Fuels 220

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Electricity Regulations 220

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 30, 2024

According to the latest EIA data, wind power, the leading source of US renewable electricity, may have supplied 7% more generation in 2024 than in 2023, and accounted for almost 11% of the countrys total electricity. It added up to 24% of total electricity generation in 2024, compared with 23% in 2023. One of 2024s new crop.

Clean Energy 274

Clean Energy 2024 Wind Power Renewable Energy 274

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 26, 2024

As one example of these rising costs, Californians’ electricity bills have been skyrocketing over the past few years. And we know that as our climate warms further—driven by burning fossil fuels—the risk of large wildfires will only grow. There are many more capital costs likely coming.

Climate Change 259

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity 259

Legal Planet

JUNE 16, 2022

According to the Energy Information Agency , South Korea’s power sector is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Two thirds of generation capacity is based on fossil fuels, split evenly between coal and natural gas, with 17% nuclear, and 14% hydro and other renewables. At the moment, South Korean climate policy is in flux.

Climate Change 246

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement 2030 246

Ocean Conservancy

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Climate change is propelling these weather events to grow faster and stronger than ever before. Other climate change impacts are accelerating as well. Many scientists thought these high ocean temperatures would be years away, but the realities of climate change are not a distant threat.

Fossil Fuels 133

Fossil Fuels Ocean Climate Change Clean Energy 133

Real Climate

APRIL 6, 2023

The summary for policymakers of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sixth synthesis report was released on March 20th (available online as a PDF ). There is a recording of the IPCC Press Conference – Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report for those who are interested in watching an awkward release of the report.

Climate Change 322

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Greenhouse 2012 322

Enviromental Defense

JANUARY 20, 2025

To build a clean economy and avoid a climate disaster, Canada needs an emissions-free electricity supply. As we electrify everything, from our cars to our home heating systems, we need electricity to come from sources that dont emit greenhouse gases. The regulations come up short of what is needed to tackle climate change.

Electricity 109

Electricity Regulations Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels 109

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 3, 2022

is a serious blow to the EPA’s ability to fight climate change—and could have dangerous repercussions beyond this case. The timing of the decision feels especially harsh, as the nation is in the throes of the “ Danger Season ” for hazards such as heat waves, drought, wildfires and hurricanes, all worsened by climate change.

Climate Change 272

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Nitrogen Oxides 272

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 26, 2024

This June, I had the opportunity to testify at the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee’s hearing on “Hydrogen Hubs and Climate Change.” My name is Julie McNamara, and I am a senior analyst and deputy policy director for climate and energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Climate Change 255

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Clean Energy 255

Enviromental Defense

JANUARY 14, 2025

Prime Minister Trudeaus recent decision to prorogue Parliament and announce his upcoming resignation may have left you wondering about what this could mean for climate change policy. All political leaders should be bolder on climate. The way to win support is to address the interlinked issues of affordability and climate.

Politics 120

Politics Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Climate Change 120

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 16, 2023

In a few days, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its latest synthesis report that provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of scientific knowledge on climate change, including its causes, impacts, and potential solutions.

Fossil Fuels 323

Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Climate Change Sea Level 323

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

As the adoption of electric cars, trucks, and buses gains momentum, many people are wondering if the electric grid is up to the task of charging all of those vehicles. And will the grid be able to handle all of the electric vehicles we will have as we progress toward a highly-electrified transportation future, by say 2040 or 2050?

Electricity 352

Electricity Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Cooling 352

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 13, 2022

It means committing to incentives and standards that clearly align with the trajectory we need to be on across all sectors of the economy—both valuing the beneficial aspects of clean energy resources, and accounting for the negative effects of polluting fossil fuels. to 80 percent of electricity from zero-carbon resources by 2030.

Technology 260

Technology Technology Climate Change Fossil Fuels 260

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Bidirectional EVs Could Be the New Standard Electric vehicles (EVs) should be a clean transportation and a clean energy solution. This could let drivers use these batteries to power critical appliances during emergencies, their homes during power shutoffs, or even the grid when electricity demand is high.

Fossil Fuels 212

Fossil Fuels Recycling Clean Energy 2004 212

Legal Planet

MARCH 9, 2023

California and other jurisdictions have been moving to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as a climate solution. Yet some pro-sprawl interests question whether this is necessary, given the advent of electric vehicles. Clean electricity generation still has a carbon cost.

Electricity 299

Electricity Fossil Fuels 2022 Conservation 299

Energy and Climate Law

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

The aim of the EU is to try to stop fossil fuel companies suing states over climate action. This shall, according to a leaked document, be pursuit by fundamental changes to the investment chapter and to the Investor State Dispute Settlement MEchanism of the ECT (ISDS).

Fossil Fuels 207

Fossil Fuels Natural Gas Electricity 2020 207

Enviromental Defense

DECEMBER 2, 2024

Statement by Alienor Rougeot, Senior Program Manager, Climate and Energy, on Ontario’s claims regarding the federal Clean Electricity Regulations. The federal government’s proposed regulations to reduce emissions in electricity generation are achievable without breaking the bank.

Electricity 131

Electricity Regulations Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels 131

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

Since the beginning of 2022, electric vehicle sales in the United States have been downright electrifying. Last year, US drivers bought more than 800,000 new electric vehicles (EVs), 65 percent more than in 2021, even as overall car sales declined. billion to help California drivers switch from gasoline to electricity.

Electricity 334

Electricity Air Pollution 2030 Clean Air Act 334

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 12, 2022

Since the summer of 2021, five Republican-controlled state legislatures have passed bills banning their state governments from doing business with financial institutions that they allege have divested from fossil fuel companies as a result of ESG investment policies. Another six statehouses are considering similar bills.

Fossil Fuels 361

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Carbon Emissions Politics 361

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 15, 2022

The ones that’ll soon be gracing areas over the horizon are powerful enough, each one, to generate the equivalent of an average home’s daily electricity use in just a few seconds. Even more important, though, wind is an impressive piece of our electricity supply. Wind is now the largest source of renewable energy in the country.

Wind Power 360

Wind Power Fossil Fuels Electricity Climate Change 360

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

(For a deeper dive on what’s really going on here in Egypt, check out the Climate Action Against Disinformation’s website.). A small number of big corporations are responsible for the climate crisis. The best solution: Replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. This is not news, but it’s worth repeating.

Fossil Fuels 322

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 322

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 8, 2023

Electric transportation is essential for a cleaner and healthier world. Replacing gasoline vehicles with electric can reduce emissions that cause climate change and illnesses. Let’s talk solutions A solution to decreasing pollution is moving away from gasoline-based modes of transportation to electric.

Electricity 304

Electricity Recycling Fossil Fuels Climate Change 304

Circle of Blue

FEBRUARY 21, 2022

The Michigan Public Service Commission is best known as the government body that decides whether gas and electric utilities can raise their rates. In an unusual move, the commission is also reviewing what keeping Line 5 operating means for climate change. But, the commission has other duties. Will it damage the environment?

Climate Change 244

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Greenhouse Law 244

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. Most Minnesotans are familiar with their local electricity utility, since that’s who bills them for electricity they provide.

Renewable Energy 359

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Solar Power Electricity 359

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 22, 2023

But extreme heat also hits our electricity system in ways that make it more expensive, more polluting, and less reliable. Extreme heat means more expensive electricity Extreme heat can sharply increase electricity consumption as people turn up their air conditioners for relief. One factor is the dirtiness of fossil fuels.

Electricity 243

Electricity Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Cooling 243

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

This marked a career shift toward direct climate and equity advocacy, where I could use my background in electrical engineering to more directly tackle the climate challenges threatening our planet’s critical resources, including the glaciers I would soon visit.

Climate Change 233

Climate Change 2030 Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions 233

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Extreme weather, which is increasing due to climate change , can degrade the electricity system and cause these failures. Power outages are costly, can have extreme impacts on both the health and safety of a population, and can happen at any point in the process of electricity generation, distribution, and usage.

Electricity 246

Electricity Renewable Energy Climate Change Sea Level 246

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. Also more commonplace are the obvious , dangerous , and destructive effects of climate change on people and communities.

Fossil Fuels 253

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity Climate Change 253

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. percent of the country’s electricity supply (up 1.1 It supplied 10.5

Clean Energy 306

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Solar Power 306

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

If California Attorney General Rob Bonta attends a home game to cheer on his local NBA team—the Sacramento Kings—he may encounter sponsorship ads promoting not one but two of the oil companies he’s suing for allegedly deceiving the public about climate change. They look like community heroes, not climate villains. But how many?

Fossil Fuels 264

Fossil Fuels 2026 2025 Climate Change 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 16, 2024

Much of our electricity system is 50 to 70 years old, yet current plans for domestic manufacturing, electric vehicle fleets, community solar gardens and more clean energy all depend on a modern grid. New demands for electricity and the need to reduce climate-changing emissions are driving new grid planning efforts.

Electricity 278

Electricity Renewable Energy Clean Energy Law 278

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 12, 2024

Fossil gas power plants currently provide the largest source of electricity generation and capacity in the United States. 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.

Fossil Fuels 292

Fossil Fuels Electricity 2030 Clean Energy 292

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 23, 2024

“Danger Season” refers to the warmer months when, turbo-charged by climate change, extreme events like heat waves, heavy rainfall, wildfires, and poor air quality bring miserable and often dangerous, conditions. This NASA graphic captures how climate change affects the extreme weather that tends to play out in Danger Season.

2024 284

2024 Fossil Fuels Climate Change Ocean 284

PA Environment Daily

MAY 2, 2025

Bringing More Generation Online As new generation comes online more efficiently through these reforms, the demand for electricity and retirement of generators continues to outpace the addition of new generation. PJM also is urging states to work with developers to help get generation constructed once it has cleared PJMs study process.

Electricity 98

Electricity Natural Gas 2026 2025 98

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 25, 2022

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Without power grid modeling tools, the transition to clean electricity would be an absolute mess. Luckily, we don’t have to resort to guesswork because we have sophisticated grid modeling tools that help guide the transition to clean electricity. Surely that would not end well.

Electricity 277

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 277

Legal Planet

JANUARY 4, 2023

The City of Los Angeles is going into the new year with a big new building-decarbonization ordinance : starting this year, nearly all new buildings in the city will have to be entirely electric. All-electric as the new normal. A lot of difficult work lies ahead if the City is going to achieve equitable building decarbonization.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Electricity Climate Change Natural Gas 246

Enviromental Defense

FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Hydrogen, like electricity, is an energy carrier – it can be used to store and deliver usable energy, for example to a cement or steel factory or to produce fertilizer. It is being presented as a key climate change solution. You can create hydrogen either using renewable energy or using fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuels 116

Fossil Fuels 2023 Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 116