Energy Archives - State of the Planet

protestor holding sign that says "climate action now"

Biden’s Climate Summit and the Practical Path to Decarbonization

Following four years of Trump’s climate denial, the Biden administration has gone all in and is starting to articulate a comprehensive climate policy.

by |March 29, 2021
map of offshore wind speeds

Community Group Welcomes Step Forward for Offshore Wind in New York

On March 18, the New York Public Service Commission green-lighted a critical component of the state’s first offshore wind farm.

by Hillary Aidun |March 19, 2021
Texas Guardsmen assist a motorist stuck on snow and ice during extreme winter weather conditions in Abilene, Texas

How Unprecedented Was the February 2021 Texas Cold Snap?

A look at historical trends shows that extreme cold spells are relatively common during Texas winters. Maybe it’s time to start designing for it.

by James Doss-Gollin, David J Farnham, Upmanu Lall, Vijay Modi |March 16, 2021
A tall power pole with many crossing wires. It's the old style of power pole, with cross members and glass insulators.

Reducing Risk and Avoiding Disaster – Creating Grid 2.0

Experts discussed the challenges and opportunities of upgrading the electric grid during a recent webinar.

by |March 12, 2021
Electrical poles of high voltage in blue sky

How to Build a More Resilient Energy Grid for the Future: Part 1

Microgrids can reduce vulnerabilities to climate change and related disasters, keeping the lights on when other parts of the grid experience power disruptions.

by Daniel Kushner, Jackie Ratner, and Jeff Schlegelmilch |March 10, 2021
jully headshot

Jully Merino Carela: Making the Energy Sector More Inclusive and Welcoming for Women

The Women in Energy program director explains how she and her team have been advocating for more women’s leadership in a male-dominated industry.

by |March 8, 2021
wind turbines on a hilltop

Biden Should Keep Trump’s Reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act

Throwing out the changes could make the new administration’s climate initiatives harder to implement.

by David R. Hill |March 2, 2021
baby with oxygen tube

Study Calls for Home Battery Storage to Protect Vulnerable During Outages

Battery storage can help protect medically vulnerable households as extreme weather makes power outages more commonplace.

by |February 25, 2021
electricity transmission tower

The Texas Power Grid and the Failure of Deregulation

While we need to mitigate climate change and will need government-driven public policy to do that, we must also adapt to the climate change that is already underway.

by |February 22, 2021

Experts Weigh In on the Deep Freeze and Power Outages in Texas

Is a failure of wind power really behind the blackouts? How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again? Earth Institute scholars have answers to these questions and more.

by |February 18, 2021