Julia Tilton

Those who know me know I am a huge Bad Bunny fan.

Benito’s performance of El Apagón during his set last night was a pointed message about Puerto Rico’s power grid. I reported on *some* of those challenges for @spectrum.ieee.org last summer.

Yesterday for the Maine Monitor, I wrote about a tiny but mighty species of zooplankton that fuels the Gulf of Maine’s ecosystem.

Today for the Daily Yonder. This story comes from time spent in the rural communities on the banks of the Hudson River last September, reporting at times from a leaky canoe. dailyyonder.com/hudson-river...

Yesterday for @spectrum.ieee.org. I asked renewable energy firms how their communications have changed under the second Trump administration. In addition to politics, they told me that AI and the need for power are driving their messaging campaigns.

Today for the Daily Yonder. I dug into why rural Wisconsin has become a bit of a hotspot for data center development. Spoiler: it has to do with taxes.

Building trails with stronger storms in mind Maine awarded funds to 44 projects to help communities prepare trails for storms, protect against erosion and increase accessibility.

For last week's Climate Monitor newsletter, I wrote for @themainemonitor.org about the first 44 projects funded with Maine's trail bond, and how the work relates to climate change.

themainemonitor.org/building-tra...

The best book I read this year was @sarahkendzior.bsky.social‘s The Last American Road Trip. My brief review, plus more rural media recommendations from my colleagues, are at the link below.

Rural News is Under Threat, So We’re Turning Up the Volume It’s a challenging time for local news and information. But we’re tackling those challenges head on, with your help.

It's that time of year where every reader donation to @dailyyonder.bsky.social is matched until Dec. 31. If you like what you see (or hear, or watch) from the Yonder, please consider a donation to keep rural journalism going.

dailyyonder.com/rural-news-i...

Press Pass – Julia Tilton of The Daily Yonder

Last week, the folks at GNAT-TV in Vermont were kind enough to have me on their Press Pass program. I spoke about my recent energy and climate reporting in rural New England and across the U.S. for @dailyyonder.bsky.social.

We talked about data centers, FEMA, and more: gnat-tv.org/press-pass-j...

In this week’s Climate Monitor, I wrote about what the end of the federal tax credits for heat pumps mean for Mainers.

Today for the Daily Yonder. Energy policy experts say rural utility customers face unique challenges around access to fuel and energy affordability programs, at the same time as electricity prices continue to climb.

Q&A: Rural Maine Newspaper Editor Alex Seitz-Wald | The Daily Yonder Editor’s Note: This interview first appeared in Path Finders, an email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Each week, Path Finders features a Q&A with a

Catching up after Thanksgiving:

Sat down with @aseitzwald.bsky.social of The Midcoast Villager for last week’s Q&A in @dailyyonder.bsky.social. We talked shop about rural news, earning trust, and what to make of the media industry in 2025.

dailyyonder.com/qa-rural-mai...

Back in September, I spent a day in the woods (almost) getting lost down a dirt road with a team of carbon scientists. We were visiting one of Maine's first woodland owners to enroll in carbon credits.

Despite carbon market controversies, I found rural landowners optimistic about their prospects.

Maine entrepreneurs see big potential in seaweed One business wants to use kelp to replace the plastic film on detergent pods. Another is creating an alternative to plastic twine.

For today's Climate Monitor, I wrote about two entrepreneurs who are using Maine seaweed as a substitute for plastic.

Check it out, here: themainemonitor.org/entrepreneur...

Why fall colors are less vibrant this year Drought across Maine led to duller leaves that dropped earlier.

Today for the Maine Monitor. I wondered why the foliage here in Maine this year has left something to be desired. Drought has played a role.

themainemonitor.org/fall-colors-...

Today for Daily Yonder. I spent some time in Brattleboro and Ludlow, Vermont reporting this story on rural disaster recovery amidst a changing FEMA landscape.

Natron Energy's Closure Sparks Industry Reflection Natron Energy's closure raises questions about the future of sodium-ion batteries in the U.S. Can the industry catch up with China?

This week for @spectrum.ieee.org. Once seen as the darling of U.S. sodium-ion battery startups, Natron Energy folded in September.

I dug into what it means for the industry at large as the West seeks to compete with China.

spectrum.ieee.org/natron-sodiu...

Some see opportunity amid Maine's green crab problem A former farmer grinds invasive green crabs into fertilizer. A Cambodian food incubator is incorporating them into seafood dishes.

Last week for the Maine Monitor. Green crabs are an invasive species along the coast. I spoke with entrepreneurs who see an opportunity to use them for crop fertilizer and seafood dishes.

themainemonitor.org/green-crab-p...

Bit of a scoop today. Rural and urban organizers are coming together in southern Arizona over concerns about water usage and environmental impacts of a proposed 200-acre aluminum recycling plant.

How does Maine's forest carbon credit market work? As carbon credits gain traction, efforts are underway to help small family forest landowners participate.

Had the opportunity to go on @newscentersmaine.bsky.social this week to discuss my recent piece for the Maine Monitor on forest carbon credits.

I’ve mentioned before that it’s a wonky topic, but fun to try and flesh out what’s happening in Maine.

www.newscentermaine.com/article/news...

Electric boats splash down in rural Maine's coastal waters Battery-powered vessels are catching on in the U.S. and globally as the tech improves. In Maine's Casco Bay, early adopters are using e-boats on oyster…

On the shores of southern Maine, these oyster fishermen are keeping things quiet.

That’s because they’re early adopters of all-electric boats, which are slowly taking off in the U.S.

Read @mariagallucci.bsky.social ’s collab with @juliatilton.bsky.social of @dailyyonder.bsky.social

How does Maine’s forest carbon credit market work? As carbon credits gain traction, efforts are underway in Maine to help small family forest landowners participate.

Friday for the Maine Monitor. Forest carbon credits are gaining traction in Maine, but some worry the market is inaccessible for small landowners.

I wrote about one startup trying to change that by measuring trees from the sky instead of the ground.

themainemonitor.org/how-does-for...

YouTube video by Daily Yonder A Tractor for the Sea: Maine’s Electric Boats

Having the right technology on an aquaculture operation is key to running a successful sea farm, those in Maine’s industry tell me.

Published alongside my feature today in @dailyyonder.bsky.social is this video I produced about innovations on Maine’s working waterfront.

youtu.be/yrYfUTAxqJ0

Today for the Daily Yonder. I spent time out on the water to report this story on the small but growing group in Maine’s aquaculture industry who are testing electric propulsion.

Thanks to @ijnr.bsky.social for a grant award that helped make this story possible.

"Water battery" proposed in western Maine A primary goal is to boost resilience by putting power onto the grid at times when other renewable resources aren’t generating electricity.

Friday for the Maine Monitor. Pumped storage hydropower could soon be coming to Maine. It would be the fourth such energy facility in New England and the first in Maine. I wrote about how the so-called "water battery" will work, and where it will go:

themainemonitor.org/water-batter...

For me, carbon credits fall into a nebulous corner of the energy world — what, exactly, are they? And can they be legitimate?

Earlier this month, I sat down with a forest economist and asked her all of my questions about the carbon credit market and its criticisms. Our conversation is here:

Today for the Daily Yonder. My analysis of Texas Renewables data shows wind, solar, and storage projects that haven’t yet come online are expected to generate $4.7 billion in local tax revenue for rural communities over their lifetimes.

The OBBB’s changes to renewable energy policy threatens that.

Walmart Chile’s Hydrogen Truck Begins Testing In Santiago Walmart Chile tests a green hydrogen truck, aiming to decarbonize transport. But can it handle the country's rugged geography?

Today for @spectrum.ieee.org. Latin America’s first hydrogen-powered fuel cell truck has hit the road in Chile, thanks to a partnership with Walmart.

The challenge now lies in building infrastructure to fuel the trucks along the country’s mountainous terrain. spectrum.ieee.org/hydrogen-fue...

Should Mainers be concerned by shark sightings? The presence of sharks are an indicator of an ecosystem’s good health, according to a shark biologist.

Last week I set out to understand whether recent great white shark sightings in the Gulf of Maine are connected to climate change. Turns out, the presence of the animals in northern New England waters are a sign of a healthy ecosystem.

Friday's story: themainemonitor.org/should-maine...