Italy Is Fighting Energy Poverty — and Climate Change
Renewable energy communities provide a blueprint for a fairer green energy transition. San Giovanni a Teduccio is a working-class neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Italy. Once an industrial center, today it’s home to abandoned factories that sit in ruins by the sea. But the rooftop of a former orphanage points to new beginnings for […]
Rural America Gets $315 Million for Cleaner, More Affordable Energy
One-sixth of U.S. households are in rural communities. The Biden administration wants to help modernize their grids, invest in renewables, and improve the efficiency of their homes. One-sixth of U.S households are in rural communities, where people often pay a larger share of their income for electricity. Reliability can be spotty, and investment in decarbonization […]
In Puerto Rico, Advocates Want the Clean Energy Revolution to be Local
As the U.S. government pledges $1 billion to develop solar power, local leaders push back on utility-scale arrays and point to a community microgrid as an example of the future they want to see. The U.S. Department of Energy has committed $1 billion to develop solar energy in Puerto Rico, to help the island meet […]
Yes, the Grid Can Handle EV Charging, Even When Demand Spikes
The flexible timing of vehicle charging can save the day — even during heat waves when electricity consumption surges. You may have wondered if places like California can support electric cars because the state’s electricity grid seems to already be overloaded. In recent years, spikes in electricity demand during heat waves have contributed to rolling […]
From New Jobs to Cheap Power, Community Renewables Show a Better Future is Possible
The IPCC’s 6th Assessment Synthesis Report released this week summarizes what we already knew: that the climate crisis, whose visibility has grown more pronounced over every season, is unequivocally happening. Its root cause? Humanity’s addiction to fossil fuels. Every year that we put off a swift, just transition into a decarbonized economy is a year […]