Aimee Witteman

Less than a year into the Trump admin and the National Governors Association, founded over 115 years ago, is on the brink of collapse.

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Is Awarded for Work on Immune Systems

I know the news is tough right now.

So take a moment and soak in the gorgeousness & promise of the science that led to this year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine & Physiology.

WOW.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/h...

This is a massive new tax you pay through your electricity bill bc state legislatures and PUCs have shirked their duty to prevent it.

Every lawmaker and regulator get real answers two simple questions before approving any data center hookup, incentive, etc. (1/3)

Doing some back of the napkin math on the Free Press acquisition, I've determined The Onion is worth $2 trillion.

Trail in Rock Creek Park in District of Columbia

Tributary to Rock Creek in District of Columbia

trail run views from early this morning #freedc

Love living on an island entirely built of a bloating bubble that, when it pops, will plunge us all into the deep

The Quiet Shutdown Becomes Loud Appropriations rupture exposes the constitutional stakes

Clarity:

The one thing that should be in any budget deal to end the government shutdown should be ending the Trump administration’s illegal power grab of Congressionally mandated spending.

Any other deal is Congressional “suicide.”

Bouquet of October sunflowers in the Sunday sunlight

Sunday sunflower 🌞

Energy Department Announces Termination of 223 Projects, Saving Over $7.5 Billion The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the termination of 321 financial awards supporting 223 projects, resulting in a savings of approximately $7.56 billion dollars for American taxpayers.

Terminated projects range from spearheading the development and deployment of grid and generation technologies that can lower costs for Americans, to new manufacturing and energy projects that would strengthen national energy security and grid reliability. www.energy.gov/articles/ene...

Who Doesn’t Have a Car? A new NRDC map shows car-free living and the factors affecting car usage in United States.

“By better understanding who relies on buses, trains, active transportation, and safe streets, decision-makers can improve mobility for all people, especially those who don’t currently drive and those who want to drive less.” www.nrdc.org/resources/wh...

E-Bikers Ride Much Farther and More Frequently Than Regular Bikers They are not 'cheating,' but are serious transportation.

The “E-Bike Effect:” Those who bought e-bikes increased their average daily bicycle use from 2.1km (1.3 miles) to 9.2km (5.7 miles), a 340% increase. The e-bike share of all their transportation increased dramatically too; from 17% to 49%.

E-bikes support fewer car trips.

V @lloydalter.bsky.social

‘There Will Always Only Be One Jane Goodall’

This is lovely. "For scientists, however, it’s the young Jane Goodall who followed wild chimpanzees for weeks at a time who endures as an icon. 'There will always only be one Jane Goodall.'”

This is the HUD website right now

Yes I think so

Could we get hyperscalers to buy heat pumps for households? Ari Matusiak and Carla Peterman join me to discuss a wild new idea: getting data centers to pay for your next heat pump.

Today on Volts: the folks at @rewiringamerica.bsky.social have an idea. Hyperscalers desperately need to free up grid capacity for data centers, right? Why not let them buy that capacity by paying for residential heat pumps & solar/storage systems? I discuss it w/ the head of RW & a rep from PG&E.

Cities make America great

Will the Southeast’s booming EV sector survive the end of tax credits? Demand for electric vehicles is rising in the region, a new study says. Consumers, utilities, and automakers may help sustain growth despite loss of…

It’s the last day to tap federal EV tax credits. What does that mean for the Southeast’s EV and battery manufacturing boom?

Dynamic grid management reduces wildfire adaptation costs in the electric power sector - Nature Climate Change Extreme events are increasingly becoming severe risks to the electric grid, yet there is limited understanding of the cost-effectiveness of adaptation investments. This research demonstrates that dynamic grid management could reduce large capital spending and limit wildfire risks in the USA.

A new paper led by Cody Warner at Berkeley shows that utilities can mitigate wildfire risk much more quickly and cheaply by using dynamic grid management (such as fast-trip switches that very quickly de-energize power lines in response to faults) than by trimming trees or undergrounding lines.

Drawdown® Explorer We know what we need to do: stop climate change as quickly as possible. Now, with the Drawdown Explorer, we know how to do it.

Was honored to serve on the advisory committee for @projectdrawdown.bsky.social’s new Drawdown Explorer — it has a simple and accessible platform design while comprehensive and rigorous on the backend. Great decision-support tool. drawdown.org/explorer

Batteries should come with every large electric appliance—an energy transition army shifting demand subtly throughout the day to match renewable generation on the grid.

Plug-in solar bills are in the works in New Hampshire and Vermont DIY "balcony" solar kits, which can save residents money and give them more independence, are piquing interest from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Solar panels that can be assembled as easily as an Ikea bookcase and plugged into a regular residential outlet could be coming soon to New Hampshire and Vermont.
www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...

Tax credits soon disappearing for home energy upgrades Some people are rushing to put up solar panels before a federal tax break expires. MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about how to use the tax credits for home energy improvements, including ...

Clock is ticking! ⚡️Great piece by @catharinerichert.bsky.social www.mprnews.org/episode/2025...

Barcelona’s radical plan to take back streets from cars Introducing “superblocks.”

We are hoping to bring this a concept like this to the Brooklyn neighborhood of Gowanus, with more of a British-style Low Traffic Neighborhood. But if you want an excellent explainer on Barcelona's superblocks, check out this piece from @volts.wtf from 2019. www.vox.com/energy-and-e...

Miners and supporters will rally to demand safeguards from black lung disease on Oct. 14 On Oct. 14, coal miners, members of the Black Lung Association and their supporters will rally in front of the Department of Labor’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., in opposition to the department’s...

More info:

A year ago we had the GGRF and tax credits — real tools to help households make the leap to clean energy with solar + heat pumps. It’s tougher now than it was then. I also preferred the NYC Climate Week events focused on practical solutions. People manifest grief and defiance in real different ways

Malaysian steel industry roadmap aims for "fully green" sector by 2050 reut.rs/4nTSFjJ

Listening to The Power Broker on training runs for The Daydreamer may be too many endurance challenges at one time.

I contracted pneumonia when I was pregnant with my second and had fevers that were 104 and 105 degrees F. It was terrifying. I can’t imagine going through that and hearing the U.S. president link acetaminophen to autism.

How Trump’s Case Against Revolution Wind Fell Apart The administration argued in the name of national defense — but Orsted had receipts.

“In its rush to stop a wind project, the Trump administration exposed the first cracks in its anti-wind policy agenda — a loss that may embolden companies targeted by the crackdown on renewable energy development to fight back.” heatmap.news/energy/revol...

I got to talk about this very issue on #WITHpod with @chrislhayes.bsky.social. An electricity cost crisis is coming. We need efficiency, smart technologies and policies, resilient infrastructure, and lots of clean energy. open.spotify.com/episode/32ps...