Fascinating new research paper asks: why did Biden receive so little political credit for his enormous investments in manufacturing? Turns out people give all the credit to governors (ironically, in this case, mostly red-state governors who were hostile to the policy!).
Wondering when a next-generation battery chemistry will make long-duration electricity storage possible? It is getting closer.
Form's iron air batteries could be that technology, providing days, not just hours, of back up.
This project is still years away - 2028 - but it could be a game changer.
Today, the Trump administration repealed the endangerment finding: the ruling that served as the basis for limits on tailpipe emissions and power plant rules. Without it, we’ll be less safe, less healthy and less able to fight climate change—all so the fossil fuel industry can make even more money.
As a historian of science, I was raised to think rejecting science was a pathology of anti-democratic governments. Well, this might be the proof of that.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...
It is so important to keep hammering in this point. People always ask me why I would have to go visit archives - why not just look at a scan? Because they haven’t been scanned! And they are never going to be! There are millions & millions of pieces of paper in every archive.
Compelling piece from Julie Michelle Klinger on what the US can do to shore up the domestic supply of rare earths - recycle what is already in circulation, reduce waste, and expand domestic processing. #energysky
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/o...
The Trump administration's policies have cost the US yet another manufacturing opportunity: Lyten's plans for a $1 billion lithium-sulfur gigafactory employing 1000 people in Nevada have fallen through, as it shifts its manufacturing plans to Europe. #energysky
mynews4.com/news/local/n...
Trump's foreign policy doesn't make any sense. But it might if you look at it through the right lens. My @wellesley.edu colleague Stacie Goddard co-wrote this piece explaining the shortcomings of Trump's "neoroyalist" approach to international politics.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/o...
In 1995, Congressional Republicans eliminated the Office of Technology Assessment - Congress' source of non-partisan scientific & technical advice. Now Republicans have fired or pushed _10,000_ PhD scientists out of the executive branch (over 100Kyrs of experience).
www.science.org/content/arti...
Screen shot of main dashboard from The Big Green Machine landing page, showing investments in clean energy manufacturing and supply chains in US, Canada, and Mexico.
At The Big Green Machine, my @wellesley.edu students and I are tracking more than 600 clean energy manufacturing projects in North America.
Check out our interactive dashboard and access our full dataset. Let us know what is missing, wrong, or needs updating. 🔌💡
www.the-big-green-machine.com
In case anyone has forgotten why this matters, Dan Wang has a great piece in the NYTimes on what is at stake as the Trump administration and GOP allies throw our chance at a clean energy transition into reverse.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...
Some of the biggest projects that advanced in the past year include:
Toyota Battery Factory in NC ($10B+)
Rivian in GA ($6.6B)
Panasonic Battery Factory in KS ($4B)
Redwood Materials in SC ($3.5B)
Lithium Americas in NV ($2.9B)
See the details in our dataset.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Some of the biggest project to slow in the past year include:
BlueOval in TN ($5.6B)
GM Orion Factory in MI ($4B)
GM-SDI Battery Factory in IN ($3.5B)
BlueOval in KY ($3.2B)
Stellantis Bactory Factory in IL ($3.2B)
See the details in our dataset.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Chart plotting when clean energy manufacturing projects were announced and, for those that have been canceled, paused, or closed, when the disinvestment occurred (this chart excludes projects have just been delayed or reduced in size). It shows a big boom in project announcements during Biden administration and surge of disinvestment since Trump took office.
If we narrow the analysis to focus only on projects that have been paused, canceled, or closed (excluding delays and reductions in size) over the past year, the lost investments (-$46.7B) far exceed newly announced investments (+$16.1B) during that time period. 🔌💡
Infographic showing clean energy manufacturing projects in the US that have advanced (announced, advanced toward production, received major grant, or been expanded in size) compared to those that have slowed (delayed, cancelled, paused, reduced in size, or loss of major grant/funding).
In year one, Trump’s policies have SLOWED - closed, delayed, etc. - 70 clean energy manufacturing projects worth $74B and 68,958 jobs.
109 projects have still ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $61B and 61,107 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
🔌💡
Screen shot of main dashboard from The Big Green Machine landing page, showing investments in clean energy manufacturing and supply chains in US, Canada, and Mexico.
At The Big Green Machine, my @wellesley.edu students and I are tracking more than 600 clean energy manufacturing projects in North America.
Check out our interactive dashboard and access our full dataset. Let us know what is missing, wrong, or needs updating. 🔌💡
www.the-big-green-machine.com
What has advanced in the past month?
Graphite One projects in AK and OH
Ford’s new plans for BESS in KY
LS Greenlink Expansion in VA
Silicon Ridge rare earth mine in UT
Empire States graphite mine in NY
and more…
See the details in our dataset.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Chart plotting when clean energy manufacturing projects were announced and, for those that have been canceled, paused, or closed, when the disinvestment occurred (this chart excludes projects have just been delayed or reduced in size). It shows a big boom in project announcements during Biden administration and surge of disinvestment since Trump took office.
Our tracking shows advances in clean energy manufacturing projects last month, including three mining projects.
We are now tracking 108 projects, $60.8B in investment, and 60,017 jobs that have been announced, moved into construction, or started operations since Trump took office.
🔌💡
What slowed in the past month?
BlueOval in KY
Ford plans for EVs in TN
GAF roof shingle factory in CA
US Solar Glass
See the details in our dataset.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Infographic showing clean energy manufacturing projects in the US that have advanced (announced, advanced toward production, received major grant, or been expanded in size) compared to those that have slowed (delayed, cancelled, paused, reduced in size, or loss of major grant/funding).
Trump + 11 months: Investments in US clean energy manufacturing were hit hard last month.
We are now tracking 69 projects, $70.5B in investment, and 66,758 jobs that have been delayed, shrunk, paused, or cancelled since Trump took office.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
🔌💡
The suspension is the latest step by the administration to hobble offshore wind in its push against renewable energy sources. It comes 2 weeks after a federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects, calling it unlawful. 🔌💡
apnews.com/article/trum...
The immediate impact of Ford's retooling is the loss of a lot of jobs. Ford says it plans to hire 2100 people for the new LFP lines - and current BlueOval employees can apply - but that isn't slated to go into production until 2027.
#energysky
In 2021, SK and Ford joined forces to build 3 BlueOval battery factories. Now they are breaking up.
@electrek.co reports SK is looking for more flexibility to sell to other automakers and for storage applications.
Ford keeps KY plants; SK keeps TN plant. #energysky
electrek.co/2025/12/11/f...
ASEH Launching New Research Grants for Early Career Scholars
ASEH will award up to six $500 grants in 2026 to support early career scholars doing research in environmental history. Apply today by following this link: forms.gle/AQXjPeMw5DBa...
HUGE: In a letter to Congress, more than 140 solar companies detail how the Trump permitting freeze on renewables is worse than imagined and hitting copious projects on private lands
They’re asking Congress to intervene and say “bipartisan permitting reform” won’t help without forcing Trump’s hand
Speaking of sensible things, @volts.wtf new solo pod episode is must-listen! 🔌💡 www.volts.wtf/p/whats-goin...
An article I cowrote with Andy Schultz and David McCune providing some highlights from a research project that analyzed various voting systems.
theconversation.com/ranked-choic...
I’m proud of the work we have done and continue to do. I’m Trying not to hate the name change, but most of us came here for the mission.
Most labs are named after places because they could not or didn’t want to announce their mission. We always got to be proud of ours. I hope we still can be. 🔌💡
1) The editor of Cell Reports Sustainable, a new open-access journal from Cell Press, graciously invited me to do a short Q&A about our new paper, "Distribution grids may be a barrier to residential electrification." Pasting the Q&A in a short 🧵 if anyone's interested.
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Beyond depraved: "Hours after her detainment, court documents obtained by ABC News show that a federal judge ordered the government not to remove the 19-year-old from the U.S. and not to transfer her outside of Massachusetts. But Lopez Belloza was deported to Honduras the next day."