MAOWCE

MAOWCE

Clean energy, sustainable living, charity

I am a college student obsessed with clean energy, sustainable living, and charity work. I write about where those three overlap, and what they can do for the poorest nations.

Start with solarWhy I write this

Solar

The cheapest power on the grid

Solar is the fastest growing source of new power in the world. I follow it from three angles, the roof, the field, and the places that have no grid to plug into.

Latest

SolarVirginia counties can still reject solar farms, but a 2026 law lets the state step in after 60 daysThe law that took effect July 1, 2026 requires a county that denies a solar project of 1 megawatt or more to report the reason to the State Corporation Commission within 60 days. Henry County is already testing the limit, proposing to cut its solar cap from 2,445 acres to 1,754 acres, exactly what has already been approved.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleSolarVirginia agrivoltaics law House Bill 508 gives the term its first legal definition, taking effect July 1, 2026, with a 150 megawatt line built into the farming testThe new law creates a shared legal definition that Virginia farmers, solar developers and local zoning boards can check any project against, rather than each county deciding case by case. Any solar plant of 150 megawatts or less has to avoid significantly displacing farming to qualify as agrivoltaics under the new rule.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleSolarTotalEnergies signed its biggest United States renewable deal ever, 1 gigawatt of new Texas solar power for Google over 15 yearsThe agreement covers 2 new solar projects west of Dallas, expected to generate about 28 terawatt hours of electricity over the contract term, with construction starting in the second quarter of 2026.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 52 solar articles49 more

Wind

Big machines, slow permits

Wind carries more of the grid than any other renewable in a lot of countries, and almost every limit on it now is political or physical rather than technical.

Latest

WindA court ruling restored the wind tax credit safe harbor test, weeks before the July 4, 2026 deadlineThe ruling reopens the easier of 2 ways wind and solar developers prove a project began construction in time, and developers had already safe harbored about 16 gigawatts of onshore wind and up to 240 gigawatts of solar capacity ahead of the deadline.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleWindWind and solar electricity grew 11.8% in the first half of 2026, coal and nuclear combined fell 4.5%Combined wind and solar generation reached 441.5 billion kilowatt hours in the first 6 months of 2026, growing about 5 times faster than the United States grid as a whole, while coal and nuclear generation together fell, according to a MAOWCE calculation from the Energy Information Administration own generation tables.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleWindVestas Colorado factory jobs reach up to 1,000 workers after a 40 million dollar investmentVestas says a 40 million dollar expansion of its Windsor Blades and Brighton Nacelles factories in Colorado will hire up to 1,000 local workers to build the V163 turbine, rated at 4.5 megawatts, restoring positions after the company cut 450 jobs at the same 2 factories in 2021.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 47 wind articles44 more

Batteries

Storage is what turns intermittent into dependable

Batteries decide whether midday sun is worth anything after dark, and whether a grid full of renewables keeps the lights on. At the small end they decide whether a house with one panel has light at night at all.

Latest

BatteriesToyota battery plant North Carolina jobs target reaches 5,100, while the investment total shifted 3 times without an explanationToyota now says the Liberty, North Carolina plant will employ up to 5,100 people and represents 13,900,000,000 dollars in investment, a total that does not add up from the 2 earlier figures Toyota itself gave.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleBatteriesStatevolt has no solid state battery factory in the United States, the confirmed 40 gigawatt hour one sits in the United Arab Emirates insteadStatevolt announced a 4,000,000,000 dollar, 54 gigawatt hour lithium ion plant in Imperial Valley, California in April 2022, and its most recent confirmed step, a land purchase, came in January 2023 with no construction reported since. 2 years later Statevolt announced a separate 3,200,000,000 dollar, 40 gigawatt hour plant in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, built first with semi solid state cells and meant to reach solid state cells at full capacity by the end of 2026.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleBatteriesAESC promised 2,000 jobs and 2,000,000,000 dollars for its Bowling Green, Kentucky battery plant, and the 2025 milestone already passed with no new dateAESC broke ground in August 2022 backed by up to 116,800,000 dollars in Kentucky incentives, and a sister plant in Florence, South Carolina stopped construction entirely in 2025 after AESC had already spent 1,000,000,000 dollars there.2 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 33 battery articles30 more

Electrification

Swapping combustion for electrons, one appliance at a time

Clean power only counts once something is plugged into it. I cover the machines replacing furnaces, engines, and cooking fires, plus the incentives, codes, and installer shortages that decide how fast the swap happens.

Latest

ElectrificationThe Washington Supreme Court struck down Initiative 2066, the Washington natural gas law, by a 6 to 3 vote on September 17, 2026, clearing the way for building code rules that favor electric heating over gasThe Washington Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 on September 17, 2026, that Initiative 2066 illegally combined 4 unrelated subjects into 1 law and voided it entirely, ending a nearly 2 year barrier that had stopped the Building Code Council from writing energy code rules that discourage gas heating.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleElectrificationUMass Boston clean energy grant of 5.3 million dollars triples a plan for 3 electric chillers, targeting an 82% natural gas cut by 2029Massachusetts awarded UMass Boston 5.3 million dollars toward an expanded plan for 3 electric heat shift chillers, up from a planned 1, reusing a seawater pump house that has cooled the campus since 1974. The university expects natural gas use at its Central Utility Plant to fall 82% once the chillers are running in 2029.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleElectrificationUC Berkeley electric heating plant replacing steam system gets 270 million dollars from California toward a 60% emissions cutUC Berkeley broke ground this year on an all electric heating and cooling plant beneath North Field, the first phase of a plan that runs through 2030. The State of California is funding 270 million dollars toward a majority of that phase, and UC Berkeley forecasts a cut of more than 60% in campus carbon emissions once it is finished.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 31 electrification articles28 more

EVs

The biggest battery market there is, and the reason cells got cheap

Cars and motorcycles take most of the batteries the world builds, which is what dragged the price of a cell down far enough to put one on a grid. I follow the whole chain, from what has to be mined to what happens to a pack once the car is finished with it, and the places where a battery on 2 wheels is the first vehicle a household has ever owned.

Latest

EVsHow many days can an electric truck power your house during an outage, up to 5 days alone and up to 10 days paired with a home batteryGeneral Motors and Ford both state their electric trucks can power a properly equipped home for up to 5 days in a blackout. dcbel states pairing a bidirectional electric vehicle with its own home battery reaches up to 10 days combined, and Pacific Gas and Electric now offers about 17,000 dollars in incentives for a qualifying resident in California.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleEVsChinese electric cars entering Europe can now trade a tariff of up to 45.3% for a price floor insteadThe European Union charges Chinese electric cars an extra duty of 7.8% to 35.3% on top of the 10% every imported car pays, up to 45.3% combined. In January 2026 it let Chinese makers swap that duty for a minimum sale price instead, and Volkswagen took the first deal on February 10, 2026.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleEVsIonna is the best electric vehicle charging network in 2026, scoring 807 points out of 1,000 in J.D. Power own study, ahead of Tesla at 701J.D. Power own 2026 study surveyed 6,594 electric vehicle owners and ranks Ionna first among fast charging networks at 807 points out of 1,000, Mercedes Benz Charging Network second at 797 and Rivian Adventure Network third at 755, all ahead of Tesla Superchargers at 701, ending Tesla own 5 year run at the top.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 175 electric vehicle articles172 more

Critical minerals

Every technology on this site starts in a mine

Copper for the wiring, lithium and nickel for the battery, rare earth magnets for the turbine and the motor. I follow where those materials actually come from, who mines and refines them, and what a shortage or a policy change up the chain does to the cost of everything built from it.

Latest

Critical mineralsLithium prices are going up again in 2026, and SQM turned a loss into a 588.1 million dollar profitLithium prices are going up in 2026 as demand for battery grade lithium carbonate, a processed form of the metal used in lithium ion battery cells, catches up with a growing supply. The price has risen 82.06% over the past year to about 134,450 yuan a ton, and SQM turned a 404.4 million dollar loss in 2024 into a 588.1 million dollar profit in 2025.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleCritical mineralsRecycling could meet 56% of the critical minerals Europe imports by 2050, European Union research findsA European Union funded project called FutuRaM says recycling could replace 56% of the critical minerals Europe imports by 2050, more than double the 25% domestic recycling floor the law already requires for 2030.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleCritical mineralsThe Department of Energy put 162 million dollars behind recovering critical minerals from industrial waste, and doubled a similar round in 48 daysOn August 18, 2026, the agency selected 9 companies in 6 states to recover minerals such as scandium, copper, antimony and rare earth elements from mine tailings and industrial waste instead of new mines. The selection follows a 75 million dollar round from 48 days earlier, and neither round is a signed contract yet.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 28 critical mineral articles25 more

Grid

Generation is the easy half, delivery is what actually limits it

A solar farm or a wind project can sit finished and unconnected for years waiting on a queue, a substation upgrade, or a transmission line with no room left on it. I follow the interconnection backlogs, the transmission projects, and the utility decisions that decide whether power that already exists can actually reach a home.

Latest

GridHow many cyberattacks hit the power grid, Verizon counts 638 while the federal regulator counted 1The Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report counted 638 cyber incidents against United States utilities in its worldwide research dataset. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the federal regulator that oversees the power grid, received exactly 1 mandatory cyber incident report from a utility for the same year, because the 2 counts measure different things under different rules.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleGridElectric car owners in Massachusetts, Maryland and California can get paid for sending battery power back to the grid, up to 2,750 dollars a seasonNational Grid in Massachusetts, Baltimore Gas and Electric in Maryland, and 2 California state agencies pay electric vehicle owners for letting them draw power back out of the car battery. Payments already made or announced range from 1,000 dollars for a completed Maryland pilot to up to 2,750 dollars for many Massachusetts households once its rate opens for enrollment.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleGridUtrecht built electric car sharing that also powers the grid, and Stedin measured 65,000 kilowatt hours returned in 5 monthsThe car sharing fleet started with 50 vehicles in April 2025, and by June 2026 Stedin, the regional grid operator, had signed a contract to use nearly 500 bidirectional vehicles across the Utrecht region against grid congestion, most from the shared fleet and a growing number owned by individuals.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 24 grid articles21 more

Hydrogen

The hardest sectors to electrify are betting on this instead

Batteries do not work for a steel furnace, a cargo ship, or a plane, so the industries that cannot electrify are betting on hydrogen instead. I follow the production tax credits, the pipeline and storage buildout, and the difference between a hydrogen project that is actually running and one that is still a funding announcement.

Latest

HydrogenAmmonia powered ship conversion now targets autumn 2026, nearly 3 years behind scheduleEidesvik Offshore and Wartsila now expect the dual fuel engine retrofit of Viking Energy to finish in autumn 2026, after first promising it for late 2023. A separate effort to fit the same ship with an ammonia fuel cell instead remains suspended, with no resumption date.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleHydrogenToyota hydrogen trucks start hauling freight in California under a 40 truck Hyroad Energy dealHyroad Energy will run 40 hydrogen fuel cell trucks for Toyota out of a new fueling station in Ontario, California, adding to a state hydrogen truck network that already counts 14 stations open and 35 more planned.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleHydrogenGreen steel plant in Sweden clears 2 big hurdles but still is not making steelStegra closed a 1.4 billion euro financing round in June 2026, and the hydrogen tower at its Boden plant in northern Sweden reached its full height the same month, but the company still needs 18 to 24 months after construction finishes before the plant actually makes steel.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 25 hydrogen articles22 more

Public transit

The bus fleet is quietly ahead of the private car on going electric

A city bus that runs the same route every day is one of the easiest vehicles in the country to electrify, and transit agencies have been buying electric buses faster than most people noticed. I follow the fleet conversions, the funding fights, and what happens to a transit agency budget once the diesel bill disappears and the battery bill arrives instead.

Latest

Public transitA San Jose bus depot solar and battery microgrid will start charging VTA electric buses in 2026, after planned solar power fell from 1.5 megawatts to 500 kilowatts.Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority broke ground on the project on September 26, 2025, more than 3 years after first announcing it, and its 4 megawatt hour battery and 3 megawatts of bus charger capacity held steady the whole time even as the solar plan shrank and the original 2023 target date slipped to 2026.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articlePublic transitSan Francisco Bay electric ferry program plans 5 battery electric vessels, not just the 3 one contract coversSan Francisco Bay Ferry runs the program under the name REEF, short for Rapid Electric Emission Free, and its own program page lists 5 battery electric vessels in total. A 55 million dollar federal grant, the largest single grant on the agency own list, backs the plan, and the first vessel is expected to enter service in early 2027.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articlePublic transitSan Diego Coronado ferry going electric under a 15.27 million dollar grant, but not until 2027The California Air Resources Board is putting up 15.27 million dollars of a project exceeding 21 million dollars total, to replace 2 diesel ferries built in 1964 and 1940 with fully electric replacements on the San Diego to Coronado route. Flagship Cruises and Events, the operator, now expects the first boat to sail in 2027, a year later than the fall 2026 date first announced.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 39 public transit articles36 more

Countries

A handful of countries are not waiting for the rest of the world

A handful of countries already get most of their electricity from renewable sources, and the reasons vary as much as the countries do, cheap hydropower, a small population, a deliberate decades long policy, or simply no fossil fuel to fall back on. I follow which countries are actually hitting their own targets, which ones are quietly falling behind, and what is actually driving the difference.

Latest

CountriesPakistan tests sharing rooftop solar power with neighbors in 2 pilot sites, but 1 regulation blocks itA study by the Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development found the model technically workable in Islamabad and rural Tharparkar at an average tariff of 20 rupees per unit, but the Prosumer Regulations 2026 bar a solar owner from selling power to anyone except the distribution company.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleCountriesPakistan cuts its solar net metering export rate 50%, from 26 to 13 rupees per kilowatt hourPakistan own electricity regulator replaced net metering with a lower paying net billing scheme in February 2026, and independent modelling finds the change cuts the total value a typical rooftop solar owner gets from their system by up to 49%.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleCountriesPakistan solar power capacity climbs to 51 gigawatts, up from 38 gigawatts in 9 monthsPakistan homes, farms and businesses have built an estimated 51 gigawatts of distributed and rooftop solar capacity as of March 2026, Renewables First states, up from 38 gigawatts just 9 months earlier. Distributed solar now meets 28% of Pakistan total electricity generation, up from 10% two years before.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 32 country articles29 more

Community

A neighborhood of home batteries can act like 1 power plant

A thousand home batteries acting together can do what 1 power plant does, and a household that cannot afford solar alone can still buy into a shared array down the street. I follow the virtual power plants, the community solar programs, and the local projects, clean water included, that only work because a whole community organized around them together.

Latest

CommunitySan Diego offered more than 750,000 dollars in clean energy grants for nonprofits in 2026, its fourth year investing nearly 2.5 million dollars since 2023San Diego Community Power and San Diego Foundation closed applications for the 2026 grant cycle on March 6, offering more than 750,000 dollars to local nonprofits, the fourth round of a program that has already invested nearly 2.5 million dollars since 2023.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleCommunityRural electric cooperatives want cheaper federal financing, and a 7 billion dollar loan program already has more demand than it can meetThe Rural Utilities Service is authorized to lend 7 billion dollars to electric cooperatives in 2026, and nearly 140 members of Congress are already asking for more money for fiscal year 2027.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleCommunityA Minnesota nonprofit energy resiliency grant sent 67,100 dollars to 6 organizations in its second round in 2026The Initiative Foundation, a nonprofit serving 14 counties and 2 Native nations in Central Minnesota, awarded 67,100 dollars to 6 organizations on July 1, 2026, its second round after a 97,000 dollar first round in 2025.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 30 community articles27 more

Water

Power and water depend on each other more than either admits

A drought can shut down a hydroelectric dam and cut the cooling water a power plant needs at the same time, and a desalination plant or a water treatment system runs on electricity a community still has to generate. I follow where water and power actually depend on each other, and the projects, filtration included, that are trying to fix 1 without breaking the other.

Latest

WaterWichita turning sewage into drinking water will cost nearly 10 million dollars, with the pilot plant running by late 2027The City Council unanimously approved nearly 10 million dollars, July 7, 2026, for a plant that will treat wastewater until it is clean enough to drink, then send it straight into the tap water supply. The pilot plant is designed to purify 70,000 gallons a day and is expected running by late 2027.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleWaterWorld Bank approved 650 million dollars in grants for the Rogun dam in Tajikistan, and the plant capacity target now stands at 3,780 megawattsThe lender approved a 300 million dollar grant in June 2026 to follow a 350 million dollar grant approved in December 2024, while S and P Global Ratings estimated in August 2026 that Tajikistan still needs about 5.8 billion dollars more to finish the dam by a 2035 target.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleWaterPhoenix wastewater drinking water plant costs 300 million dollars and is half built, with tap water arriving by 2029The Cave Creek Water Reclamation Plant will turn 8 million gallons a day of wastewater into 6.75 million gallons of drinking water for 25,000 households. The City of Phoenix says the 300 million dollar project is about halfway built as of March 2026.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 40 water articles37 more

Animals

A changing climate is rewriting where wildlife can actually live

A warmer year changes migration timing, a wind farm sited in the wrong place changes a flight path, and a species count that used to happen every decade now needs to happen every year to mean anything. I follow the population counts, the habitat fights, and where a renewable energy project and a wild species end up competing for the same ground.

Latest

AnimalsUtah sage grouse plan blocks wind and solar development across 5.4 million acres, still allows geothermalThe Bureau of Land Management finalized a new plan for Utah in December 2025 that blocks wind and solar development on 5.4 million acres of the highest sage grouse conservation zone in the state, while still allowing geothermal energy leasing under added conditions.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleAnimalsWhy do birds fly into solar panels, a government study of 26 species found the cause is light that mimics a lakeA 2 year government study found solar panels can polarize reflected light up to 83%, above the 35% to 80% range of a natural lake, and that a nearby comparison lake held between 25 and 800 times as many aquatic birds as any solar site counted.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleAnimalsA project that plans 3,880 bird flight diverters over 60 kilometers of lines in France and Belgium is now testing drones to fit them twice as fastSafelines4Birds expects the diverters to cut collision risk 43% to 85% however they are installed, while a separate drone trial in France aims only to double how fast crews can fit them, not to raise or lower that percentage.2 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 33 animal articles30 more

Weatherize

The fix that cuts a heating bill before winter arrives

Weatherizing a home, sealing leaks, adding insulation, replacing a failing furnace, is unglamorous work with an outsized payoff for a household that already struggles to keep the lights on. I follow the programs that pay for it, the funding fights around them, and what they actually save.

Latest

WeatherizeThe USDA home repair grant for seniors pays up to 10,000 dollars, plus a 40,000 dollar loan at 1% interest for a rural homeowner of any ageThe Section 504 program pays a grant up to 10,000 dollars, never repaid unless the home sells within 3 years, to a rural homeowner age 62 or older whose household income is at or below 50% of the area median income for the county. A loan up to 40,000 dollars at 1% fixed interest is open to a homeowner of any age, with a combined loan and grant maximum of 50,000 dollars.2 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleWeatherizeLIHEAP money can be used for weatherization, up to 15% of a state total, or 25% with a federal waiverA federal law lets a state move up to 15% of its LIHEAP dollars into weatherization instead of heating and cooling bill help, or up to 25% with a waiver, out of a program funded at 4.045 billion dollars for fiscal year 2026.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleWeatherizeOncor free weatherization income limits reach 66,000 dollars for a Texas family of 4 as 2026 funding runs outOncor, the Texas utility that runs its own free weatherization program under a state law, states that 2026 funding is already fully spent, with applicants told to check back in January 2027. The 2026 income limit is 31,920 dollars for 1 person and 66,000 dollars for a household of 4.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 22 weatherization articles19 more

Community solar

Solar power for the renter who will never own a roof

Not everyone can put panels on their own house. Community solar lets a renter, an apartment dweller, or a low income household subscribe to a shared solar array and see the savings on their own utility bill instead. I follow which states require it, what it actually saves, and who still cannot get in.

Latest

Community solarA federal judge ordered the 7 billion dollar Solar for All program restored, months after a lawsuit by 19 states and the District of Columbia over its shutdown was thrown outA judge in Rhode Island ruled on September 18, 2026 that the Environmental Protection Agency illegally ended the 7 billion dollar Solar for All program. The ruling comes months after a separate lawsuit, filed by 19 states and the District of Columbia over the same shutdown, was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleCommunity solarHUD guidance says community solar will not raise the rent in public housing, a policy that could reach 4.5 million familiesA 2 step test run by HUD decides whether a community solar credit counts as income that would raise the rent. HUD extended that test from Housing Choice Voucher and public housing tenants in August 2022 to residents of shared meter buildings in August 2023, a policy the Department of Energy says could reach 4.5 million families.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleCommunity solarWashington community solar program for low income households has committed 25 million dollars, filling both of its next 2 funding cyclesThe Community Solar Expansion Program, run by Washington State University, has already paid out more than 53 million dollars, and its newly reached 25 million dollar commitment now fills the current 2 year funding cycle and the one that follows it, under a 100 million dollar statewide lifetime cap.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 17 community solar articles14 more

Utility shutoffs

The rules that decide whether the power stays on

A missed bill can mean a disconnected power line, and for a family with a medical device, a heat wave, or a hard winter, that is not an inconvenience, it is a danger. I follow the shutoff protections, the crisis assistance programs, and the fights over who actually gets covered.

Latest

Utility shutoffs32 states now ban power shutoffs during winter monthsA count checked this year against the table the government itself publishes shows 32 states, including the District of Columbia, block a winter utility shutoff for at least some customers, as households face a heating bill projected at 1,030 dollars this winter, up 8.7% from last year.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleUtility shutoffsPennsylvania heating assistance program opened after a monthlong delay, with 208 million dollars for more than 300,000 householdsThe season, which normally opens in November, opened December 3, 2025, a month late, after a 43 day federal government shutdown delayed the release of money the program depends on. Pennsylvania received 208,463,831 dollars, and the state expects the money to reach more than 300,000 households by the time the season closes April 10, 2026.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleUtility shutoffsNew York gets 401,241,711 dollars in help paying heating bills this yearThe federal government finished sending 401,241,711 dollars to New York for the current heating season in April 2026, after a shutdown delayed the first release, and a household earning at or below 60% of the state median income can receive between 21 dollars and 996 dollars toward a heating bill by applying between November 3 and April 7.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 20 utility shutoffs articles17 more

Extreme heat

Who gets to cool down when the temperature spikes

Air conditioning is not a luxury when a heat wave hits, it is survival, and access to it is wildly uneven by neighborhood and income. I follow the cooling center gaps, the heat death toll, and what cities are actually doing about it.

Latest

Extreme heat149 tribes across 25 states now run their own LIHEAP program directly, federal tally showsThe LIHEAP Clearinghouse, the federal resource center for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, counts 149 tribes and tribal organizations in 25 states directly running their own LIHEAP program in fiscal year 2026, with 47,174,468 dollars in federal funding behind those tribal grants this year.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleExtreme heatFree air conditioner program in Portland, Oregon installed over 15,770 units on the way to a 25,000 goal, and it no longer accepts new applicationsCooling Portland, funded by the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund, expanded its goal to 25,000 free heat pump and cooling units after adding 10.3 million dollars in December 2024. Applications are now closed, and the program keeps a waitlist, though Multnomah County pointed residents to it during a June 2026 heat emergency.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleExtreme heatMuscogee Creek Nation energy assistance pays 600 dollars through one program, up to 500 through a separate income tested oneThe Muscogee Creek Nation runs 2 separate energy assistance programs. Its Tribal Energy Program pays 600 dollars toward a cooling and heating bill with no income test, and its separate LIHEAP program pays 300 to 500 dollars to households at or below 60% of the state median income.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 20 extreme heat articles17 more

Medical power

The backup power that keeps a medical device running

A power outage is a health emergency for someone who depends on a machine to breathe, refrigerate insulin, or run a dialysis pump. I follow the programs that provide backup power and priority restoration to medically vulnerable households, and how well they actually work.

Latest

Medical powerRegistering for medical equipment power outage priority does not shorten a widespread outageNashville Electric Service own Critical Referral Program promises medical equipment priority restoration to a registered household. During Winter Storm Fern, a storm that cut power to more than 1,000,000 customers nationwide and took 12 days to fully restore in Nashville, the utility own page states plainly that system repairs come first in a widespread outage, exactly what this storm was.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleMedical powerDoes Texas Medicaid pay for a generator, only 4 of the 6 home care waivers say yesTexas Medicaid can cover a backup generator through the Medically Dependent Children Program and STAR Plus home and community based services, but 2 of the 6 home and community based waivers Texas runs do not allow one at all, and the dollar limits range from 4,000 dollars a year to a 10,000 dollar lifetime cap depending on which waiver a member is enrolled in.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the articleMedical powerSeniors First delivered 60 free power stations to Central Florida seniors for hurricane season, down from 160 the year beforeThe nonprofit gives the portable batteries to its Meals on Wheels clients so a lamp or a phone still works after a storm knocks out power, and more than 4,600,000 Medicare beneficiaries nationally depend on electricity powered medical equipment or essential health care services at home, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.3 minute read. 5 sources.Read the article
Read all 18 medical backup power articles15 more

About

Why I write this

I am a college student. I got obsessed with clean energy the way other people get obsessed with a sport, and I never really stopped reading about it. This site is where I put what I learn.

Solar, wind, batteries, and electrification usually get covered as four separate business stories. They are not separate. A cheap panel, a cheap battery, and a small efficient appliance are the same story told at three sizes, and together they decide whether a household gets power at all.

That last part is what I care about most. The same equipment that shaves a bill in a rich country can be the first light in a village the grid never reached. So I also write about sustainable living and charity work, because those threads keep running into each other, and the places with the least power have the most to gain.

Read the full story →