Robinson Meyer

My apartment has a sunken living room, so I’d like to think I’ve already started on this one

Feels like jazz/bossa nova and tropical fish tanks are both due for a big comeback. No hard evidence here. Just a feeling I have.

10 out of 13 grants awarded for domestic Heat Pump manufacturing (the IRA’s Heat Pump Defense Production Act Program) are also listed. 🔌⚡

Awards for Gradient, Mitsubishi, and York International appear to be safe.

Trump to Axe All 7 Hydrogen Hubs, Bucking Bipartisan Law A new list of Department of Energy grants slated for termination will hit clean energy and oil majors alike, including Exxon and Chevron.

Some additional info on the new list of axed DOE projects circulating.
- All 7 H2 Hubs
- All 13 IRA grants to convert at-risk auto plants to EV mfg
- 11 of 15 grants to speed domestic clean energy mfg in former coal communities
- 10 of 38 grants for battery materials
heatmap.news/politics/doe...

Solar and wind power has grown faster than electricity demand this year, report says A new analysis of solar and wind power shows its generation worldwide has outpaced electricity demand this year.

Worldwide solar and wind power generation has outpaced electricity demand this year, and for the first time on record, renewable energies combined generated more power than coal, according to a new analysis.
share.google/FrLUSBkG5xrX... 🔌💡 #Upshift

Trump to Cancel Direct Air Capture Hubs in Texas, Louisiana A new list of grant cancellations obtained by Heatmap includes Climeworks and Heirloom projects funded by 2021 infrastructure law.

NEW: Trump is moving to kill all funding for proposed Texas and Louisiana mega-hubs to capture CO₂ from the atmosphere

The bipartisan-backed hubs represented a rare clean tech industry where the US was on the cutting edge

by @emilypont.bsky.social for @heatmap.news

heatmap.news/politics/doe...

I have spent all of 10 days of my life in Dubai, and even during that time I saw one middle-aged British man telling another middle-aged British man he was moving to Dubai for tax reasons

The four window styles of the new MacOS (Canonically, Charlie Brown is eight years old so he did used to have Tahoes but doesn't any more.)

Just upgraded to the new MacOS and now all my windows are

Thank you for saying this aloud, I have been (sincerely) wondering exactly this and endlessly wincing because of it

HE WAS SAFE!

I don’t know! How is it already the ninth inning!

Not Enjoying the Baseball Game

Much like "crab", industrial music is constantly re-evolving from first principles basically anywhere where there's a bunch of metal and plastic laying about

California’s Big Climate and Energy Package, Explained The state quietly refreshed its cap and trade program, revamped how it funds wildfire cleanup, and reorganized its grid governance — plus offered some relief on gas prices.

California passed a huge climate package last month, w/ a big effort to weave in affordability. It's wonky but important stuff, and I broke it all down for you:
- Cap & invest extension / rebrand
- transmission accelerator
- permission to join a Western RTO!
more here heatmap.news/energy/calif...

'A cost of climate change': Why the price of electricity is outpacing inflation NPR's Steve Inskeep asks Robinson Meyer of the climate and energy site Heatmap News why electricity bills are rising faster than inflation.

I was on NPR’s Morning Edition today, chatting with the great @steveinskeep.bsky.social about why electricity prices are rising: www.npr.org/2025/10/06/n...

Question for data center ball knowers: if a tenant company in a training/inference data center defaults, can the GPUs be reused as is for different applications and for new tenants, or would you have to reconfigure the entire rack?

America is now one big bet on AI It’s seen as the magic fix for every threat to the US economy

I didn’t know this, although it feels a bit like asking Mrs. Lincoln about the rest of the play: “Outside of the AI plays, even European stock markets have been outperforming the US this decade, and now that gap is starting to spread.” on.ft.com/3VTVllF

America is now one big bet on AI It’s seen as the magic fix for every threat to the US economy

“The hundreds of billions of dollars companies are investing in AI now account for an astonishing 40% share of US GDP growth this year. And some analysts believe that estimate doesn’t fully capture the AI spend, so the real share could be even higher.” www.ft.com/content/6cc8...

Elon Musk Gambles Billions in Memphis to Catch Up on AI xAI aims to win the tech arms race with its “Colossus” data centers, thrown up at lightning speed. The city is divided over the massive power and water demands.

“A server with 16 chips, smaller than a piece of checked baggage, needs the same power as five to 10 households.” www.wsj.com/tech/elon-mu...

Elon Musk Gambles Billions in Memphis to Catch Up on AI xAI aims to win the tech arms race with its “Colossus” data centers, thrown up at lightning speed. The city is divided over the massive power and water demands.

“‘In one year, xAI has become the second largest taxpayer in the city and county after FedEx,’ said Bill Dunavant III, a Memphis businessman who sits on the board of directors of the city’s chamber of commerce.” www.wsj.com/tech/elon-mu...

China Is Beating the US in the Battle for Energy Export Dominance China’s exports of clean energy technology hit a record in August, with $20 billion shipped globally.

China has exported $120 billion in green technology for the year-to-date. The US, which has positioned itself as a major fossil fuel exporter, has only sold $80 billion in oil and gas abroad.

That’s not really what I’m saying, and I don’t necessarily take it as the argument that Murphy is paraphrasing

To stake out a very un-Bluesky position: I basically understand the argument that Murphy is paraphrasing, and I think it is defensible for the party to have messengers like Murphy talk about democracy to high-info high-edu audiences while Bernie, AOC, and congressional leadership hammer healthcare.

The Department of Energy’s Latest Cuts Will Hit Red States, Too A list of terminated grants obtained by Heatmap contains a number of grants that will cost jobs and revenue in Republican-led states.

“A list of the 321 canceled grants obtained by Heatmap tells a different story. While much of the funding was awarded to blue state-based companies, the intended projects would have benefitted communities elsewhere, including in Texas, Florida, and Louisiana.”

We covered this on Shift Key Emily

worth remembering that hoover's administration was defined by 4 years of economic chaos, suffering, dislocation, and fear. People genuinely believed the country itself was on the verge of irreversible collapse. He still got 40% of the vote.

One of the most memorable places I’ve ever been, basically for that exact reason. Is Caterpillar still there or did they finish the move?

This AI video stuff. I’ll be honest. Doesn’t seem like a good idea. Not the best technology that I’ve ever seen produced.

listen to hear me "go off" on paul wellstone's academic work on transmission politics, the oil and gas industry feeling sorry for offshore wind developers, and what the hell is "gold-plating" anyway

Bar chart titled “Where High Power Prices Are Hitting Hardest.” Shows how much impact rising electricity prices have had on household finances by region. Percent saying “a lot or a decent amount”: Northeast 63%, West 61%, South 56%, Midwest 52%. Percent saying “a little bit or none at all”: Midwest 43%, South 41%, West 36%, Northeast 33%. The Northeast and West report the highest share experiencing significant financial impact from higher power prices, while the Midwest reports the lowest. Based on a poll of 3,741 American registered voters conducted Aug 22–29, 2025

It’s interesting to see the regional breakdown of where folks are struggling with electricity costs in our new polling. Everyone is having some pain, but the Northeast and West leap out. heatmap.news/energy/elect...