Chart: The US installed more solar in 2023 than ever before

Canary Media’s chart of the week translates crucial data about the clean energy transition into a visual format. This has been a record-shattering year for U.S. solar power. When 2023 comes to a close, nearly 33 gigawatts of solar capacity will have been installed across the coun … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Charging Up: A chat with Suzanne Leta, head of policy and strategy at SunPower

Canary Media’s Charging Up column chronicles gender diversity in the climatetech sector. Part one is a short Q&A with an industry role model about their career path. Part two features updates on career transitions. Please send feedback and tips to wesoff@​canarymedia.​com. Suzann … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Harnessing the heat beneath our feet: Geothermal's past and future

This story was first published by Distilled . Geothermal power is having a bit of an unexpected moment. After two decades of slow growth, most energy experts wrote the technology off as an unrealistic way to generate large amounts of electricity. In an era dominated by incumbent … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Why I keep putting on hard hats

Dear Canary Media reader, My reporting for Canary Media can require me to wield more than a notebook and pen. Sometimes, it means donning a hard hat, too. I’ve amassed a collection of photos of myself wearing protective headgear in noisy factories, at construction sites, and whil … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Will universally compatible EV chargers ever be a reality in the US?

This is the final piece in a three-part series exploring the biggest problems with public EV charging — and how to fix them (read Part 1 and Part 2 ). Canary thanks EnergyHub for its support of the series. Erika Myers can talk about EV charging standards all day. After all, as h … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Wins, losses and participation trophies for US nuclear power in 2023

With this bumpy year for nuclear coming to a close and the world’s energy stakeholders having just gathered for the most nuclear-focused COP meeting ever , it’s a good time to assess the state of atomic power in the U.S. Government pledges and consumer support for nuclear power i … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

What’s behind the epidemic of unreliable EV chargers?

This is the second piece in a three-part series exploring the biggest problems with public EV charging — and how to fix them (read Part 1 ). Canary thanks EnergyHub for its support of the series. In the U.S., electric vehicle charging infrastructure has a reliability problem — a … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

EV battery repair is dangerous — but some mechanics want to do it anyway

This story was first published by Grist . About three times a day, Rich Benoit gets a call to his auto shop, The Electrified Garage , from the owner of an older Tesla Model S whose car battery has begun to fail. The battery, which used to provide several hundred miles of range, m … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Join Canary Media’s virtual holiday bash

We are an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering the transition to clean energy and solutions to the climate crisis. We report on how the world is decarbonizing — from electricity to transportation, buildings and industry — with a critical focus on finding out what works and wh … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Americans like home electrification — but also still love their gas stoves

This story was first published by Grist . Most Americans would prefer to live in a home where almost all major appliances run on electricity — but only if they can keep their gas stoves. Just 31 percent want to go fully electric. Researchers asked roughly 1,000 people to what ext … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

EV chargers have a big reliability problem. Can the government fix it?

This piece is the first in a three-part series exploring the biggest problems with public EV charging — and how to fix them. Canary thanks EnergyHub for its support of the series. Rosana Francescato is an electric vehicle enthusiast who likes to plan ahead. So when she and her hu … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Jeff St. John’s adorable dog has a request

Dear Canary Media reader, Could you resist a plea from this lovable pup? I know I can’t. When Lily wants another walk around the block, I’m powerless to resist. I’m hoping that some of Lily’s persuasiveness will rub off on me today as I make my plea. Hear me out. I’m one of the l … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Innovative solar tracker startup Sunfolding has folded

Sunfolding , a venture-capital-funded solar startup with a novel pneumatic tracker solution, is winding down its operations. The news was confirmed by a former employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity and singled out manufacturing challenges and a lack of solar-project ex … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Chart: Lithium-ion battery prices are falling again

Canary Media’s chart of the week translates crucial data about the clean energy transition into a visual format. After a brief hiatus, lithium-ion battery prices are back to their regularly scheduled nosedive. Throughout the 2010s, batteries got cheaper and cheaper, cheering th … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

The Biden administration has a chance to do clean hydrogen right

It’s not often you get to write the rules to govern an entirely new industry. But that’s exactly what the Biden administration is set to do next week with proposed rules that will define what kinds of hydrogen production methods count as clean. If recent reports on the leaked rul … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Yes, it’s possible to electrify a home on just 100 amps

Canary Media’s Electrified Life column shares real-world tales, tips and insights to demystify what individuals can do to shift their homes and lives to clean electric power. In 2022, Wayne Szeto was psyched to electrify his home. But his electrical panel presented a potential hu … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

'Green' hydrogen debate heats up ahead of tax-credit decision

The Biden administration plans to set strict requirements on the sources of carbon-free electricity used by hydrogen producers seeking lucrative federal incentives, according to news reports citing leaked information regarding long-awaited rules for the Inflation Reduction Act’s … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Airlines have a big climate problem, and it’s not just CO2 emissions

A Virgin Atlantic flight from London to New York City grabbed the world’s attention last week when it successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean without burning fossil fuels — a first for a major airline . But proving that planes can safely fly on 100 percent sustainable aviation fu … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

The US EV industry now faces a choice: Tax credits or Chinese batteries

Last week, the Biden administration released long-awaited proposed guidance for how it plans to enforce one of the most complex and controversial aspects of the electric vehicle incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act: the requirement that the country’s fast-growing EV … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

A message from Canary's most cantankerous correspondent

Dear Canary Media readers, You might know me as the Canary reporter who's dubious about the cost-effective rollout of fuel cells, hydrogen cars, food-based fuels, cow-fart inhibitors and a litany of other impractical technologies. I suspect bad faith in the push to slap new … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

20-plus countries pledge to triple the world's nuclear energy by 2050

COP28 might be remembered as the “nuclear COP.” More than 20 countries including the U.S., France, Japan and the United Kingdom have pledged to triple global nuclear energy generation by 2050 at the launch of COP28 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, the world’s annual climate … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Is solar the future of boating? This engineer turned boat-builder says yes

KINGSTON, New York — Behind the diesel-powered Rip Van Winkle party boat, across from Mathilda, the decommissioned 19th-century tugboat, and about 1,000 yards upriver from the rusted husk of a retired New York City hospital barge named the Lila Acheson Wallace, you will find the … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

California regulators cut incentives for rooftop solar even further

The California Public Utilities Commission has insisted that its decision last year to slash the compensation that households can receive from rooftop solar systems comes with a silver lining — a financial incentive for households to add batteries to their solar systems. The CPUC … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

An IRA grant could help low-income residents in New Hampshire go solar

This story was first published by Energy News Network . New Hampshire’s Department of Energy has requested a $70 million federal grant to expand community solar programs for low-income residents, an infusion of funds that supporters say could lower energy bills, accelerate decarb … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

California’s rooftop solar policy is killing its rooftop solar industry

It’s been six months since California regulators slashed the value of home rooftop solar systems — and the market crash that the state’s solar industry warned would result is now well underway. On Thursday, the California Solar and Storage Association unveiled data showing a 77 t … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Chart: How much are oil and gas firms spending on clean energy? Not much

Canary Media’s chart of the week translates crucial data about the clean energy transition into a visual format. Oil and gas companies, eager to distance themselves from the planet-warming reality of their core business, aren't shy about touting their investments in clean en … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Sen. Merkley condemns Biden admin for rubber-stamping LNG buildout

America’s soaring exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, threaten to “destroy” the Biden administration’s clean energy goals and undermine U.S. leadership on climate change — yet the nation’s top officials are standing idly by, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) told Canary … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

Charging Up: A chat with Constance Thompson, senior vice president of DEI at ACORE

Canary Media’s Charging Up column chronicles gender diversity in the climatetech sector. Part one is a short Q&A with an industry role model about their career path. Part two features updates on career transitions. Please send feedback and tips to wesoff@​canarymedia.​com. Consta … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

AI-powered permitting is speeding up solar deployments in California

At the start of September of this year, John Caprarelli, a city building official for Santa Clarita, California, had a deadline to meet. By the end of the month, his city of about 220,000 people had to start issuing “instant permits” for all residential solar and solar-battery pr … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 11 months ago

New investment firm aims to scale up urgently needed battery materials

Switching the global economy to run on clean energy instead of fossil fuels depends on a massive ramp-up in minerals extraction to supply batteries, solar panels, transmission lines and more. This has a lot of people worried that a lack of access to minerals will eventually hold … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 12 months ago

America's first 'enhanced' geothermal plant just got up and running

A next-generation geothermal plant backed by Google has started sending carbon-free electricity to the grid in Nevada, where the tech company operates some of its massive data centers. On Tuesday, Google and geothermal developer Fervo Energy said that electrons began flowing from … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 12 months ago

In a first, a major airline will cross the Atlantic without fossil fuels

A Virgin Atlantic flight taking off this week from London to New York City will last about eight hours, span around 3,500 miles — and emit only a fraction of the planet-warming gases associated with a typical transatlantic flight. On Tuesday, the British airline is set to pluck a … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 12 months ago

Chart: Here's where utility-scale solar is located in the US

Canary Media’s chart of the week translates crucial data about the clean energy transition into a visual format. The recipe for a fossil-free future includes a big dollop of solar — and in recent years, that solar has started popping up all around the U.S. But where, exactly, are … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

Heat-pump water heaters are a winner for the climate — and your wallet

Canary Media’s Electrified Life column shares real-world tales, tips and insights to demystify what individuals can do to shift their homes and lives to clean electric power. Water heaters toil away, often unseen in basements and garages, to keep our showers hot, clothes cleanse … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

Air Force rescinds $100M award for Oklo microreactor

Oklo , a nuclear power upstart developing advanced “microreactor” technology, suffered another setback in what has been a tumultuous year for the firm. In August, Oklo was tentatively chosen as the contractor to build a microreactor at Alaska’s Eielson Air Force Base by the end o … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

The LNG export boom just hit a snag in Texas

This story was first published by Grist . The liquefied natural gas, or LNG, industry has exploded across the U.S. Gulf Coast over the past decade, burying once-remote shorelines under hundreds of acres of concrete and steel where the fossil fuel is cooled so it can be shipped ac … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

US government deploys $41M to train clean energy workforce

The Biden administration is investing $40.8 million into new centers to train students and workers for the rapidly growing clean energy economy. The energy transition depends on a skilled workforce, one that can manufacture EVs and batteries, install electric heat pumps and pinpo … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

Live online event: Senator Jeff Merkley on how to rein in LNG exports

We are an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering the transition to clean energy and solutions to the climate crisis. We report on how the world is decarbonizing — from electricity to transportation, buildings and industry — with a critical focus on finding out what works and wh … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

California's grid is hindering its climate goals. Can a new law fix it?

Canary Media’s Down to the Wire column tackles the more complicated challenges of decarbonizing our energy systems. California may be one of the first states to face the risk of its power grid growing too slowly to support the surging adoption of electric vehicles, heat pumps and … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

LNG exports are a 'really, really big' climate threat, McKibben says

On November 15, Canary Media contributing reporter Nicole Pollack sat down with author and activist Bill McKibben, who has been writing and organizing on climate change for decades — and who was instrumental in defeating the Keystone XL pipeline — to discuss what the country’s ra … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

Chart: US EV sales are having a record-setting year

Canary Media’s chart of the week translates crucial data about the clean energy transition into a visual format. Despite recent headlines declaring the industry stagnant or moribund, the U.S. electric-vehicle market is actually well past the tipping point for mass adoption — and … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

California makes it harder for schools, farms and rental housing to go solar

California regulators have ordered changes to the state’s shared-solar programs that critics say will ruin the economics of rooftop solar on apartment buildings, schools and farms across much of the state. And while the new regulations approved by the California Public Utilities … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

Donate to support Canary Media!

We are an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering the transition to clean energy and solutions to the climate crisis. We report on how the world is decarbonizing — from electricity to transportation, buildings and industry — with a critical focus on finding out what works and wh … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

America's first hydrogen-powered ferry is set to sail

America’s first hydrogen-fueled ferry is set to launch in San Francisco early next year after more than five years in development. As the milestone nears, the vessel’s owner says it's already looking to deploy more zero-emissions ferries nationwide — particularly in places w … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

Cartoon: Making transmission cool

We are an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering the transition to clean energy and solutions to the climate crisis. We report on how the world is decarbonizing — from electricity to transportation, buildings and industry — with a critical focus on finding out what works and wh … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

Portugal just ran on 100% renewables for six days in a row

One recent autumn afternoon, I watched the Atlantic gusts collide with the cliffs that rise above Nazaré, Portugal. Rain pelted down, and the world-renowned swells rose into walls of water that even the most death-defying surfers reach only via Jet Ski. For me, this looked like a … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

Charging Up: A chat with Cynthia Adams, CEO of Pearl Certification

Canary Media’s Charging Up column chronicles gender diversity in the climatetech sector. Part one is a short Q&A with an industry role model about their career path. Part two features updates on career transitions, plus data points on workplace trends and diversity. Please send f … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago

Bankrupt EV bus-maker Proterra finds buyers for its business units

Proterra, the leading electric bus-maker in the U.S. before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August , has found buyers for its bus-manufacturing, battery and electric-drivetrain businesses. Now the question is whether the company’s U.S.-based factories, once celeb … | Continue reading


@canarymedia.com | 1 year ago