Pennsylvania’s Shale Gas Boom: What the Shapiro Administration Can Do to Better Protect Public Health

Since 2005, shale gas development has increased dramatically across a vast swath of Pennsylvania, and frontline communities have experienced otherwise unexplainable and sometimes devastating health impacts. Residents have reached out to government officials and agencies for explanations as to what is happening, but their inquiries have often been met with denigration, misinformation, or silence.

The Environmental Health Project (EHP) has closely examined the actions of Pennsylvania’s governing bodies over more than a decade of shale gas development (also called hydraulic fracturing or fracking). They have identified a series of egregious and, at times, intentional efforts to make it easier to …

Renewable Energy in Climate Change Adaptation: Metrics and Risk Assessment Framework

The essential role of renewable energy in the transition towards a climate-friendly future is undisputed. Often overlooked, however, is the part that renewable energy can play in climate change adaptation. Examining the intersection of renewable energy and climate adaptation measures presents a critical opportunity to examine the dual challenges of addressing climate impacts and supporting sustainable development. Promoting renewable energy as a strategy for adaptation requires informed policy-making as well as raising awareness of its benefits – including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy security, enhanced socio-economic outcomes and greater resilience to climate impacts.

Policy and finance play key roles …

Why the REINS Act’s Approach to Regulatory Reform Is So Problematic

The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, recently reintroduced in Congress, poses significant threats to the federal regulatory process. This new analysis, originally published in Just Security on March 28, outlines the Act’s problematic approach to regulatory oversight and its potential to obstruct critical public protections.

If enacted, the REINS Act would require congressional approval for major regulatory actions before they can take effect. This fundamental change to the regulatory framework would undermine the ability of agencies to respond efficiently to pressing environmental, health, and safety concerns. As the analysis notes, the Act would likely lead …

Making Offshore Wind Work

The report includes updates on key topics such as marine spatial planning, integrated environmental and social sensitivity mapping, mobilizing finance, and innovative applications of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance wind farm design and operations.…

Federal Clean Energy Tax Credits Make Energy More Affordable– A Meta-Analysis

A new Energy Innovation meta-analysis finds repeal of the §45Y and §48E technology-neutral electricity tax credits would raise the nation’s household energy bills around $6 billion annually in the next five years and $25 billion annually by 2040. This amounts to $40-$60 per household in 2030 and $140-$220 annually per household in 2040. In some states, the impacts are particularly stark. Repeal of the credits would increase household energy costs by more than $400 a year in Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, New York, Iowa, and Kansas, for example. This comes at a time when electricity bills for American homes and businesses …

Third NEA Stakeholder Involvement Workshop on Optimisation in Decision Making: Summary Report

Optimisation is a fundamental concept in decision making in all parts of society. An optimised decision can be broadly defined as one that is reached in an inclusive and holistic manner, and is sustainable.

Improving the common, practical understanding of what optimisation in decision making means for policymakers, regulators and other stakeholders was the primary goal for convening the Third NEA Stakeholder Involvement Workshop held in Paris on 5–7 September 2023. This summary report analyses the workshop’s findings and details the proposals made by participants to practically facilitate optimisation in decision making through stakeholder involvement.…

Decoding DERMS: Options for the Future of DER Management

Several converging trends are transforming the electric grid in the United States including:

– Increasing variable renewable energy generation,
– Rising electricity demand,
– Grid decentralization driven by the adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs), and
– Increasing need for electric grid resilience in response to extreme weather events.

Traditional, infrastructure-centric approaches are insufficient to deliver reliable, affordable power in this new reality. The generation, transmission, and distribution upgrades needed are simply too expensive and time-consuming to be effective on their own. Fortunately, demand flexibility has the potential to enable utilities to meet the needs of the future at much …

CFS and Transportation Markets Report

2025 has already ushered in a mixture of regulatory shifts, technological advancements, and both public and private sector leadership. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reconsidering previously adopted federal vehicle emission standards that would effectively require an increased share of electric vehicles (EVs) in the market. While proponents of the regulations view them as a necessary step toward meeting climate goals, critics argue that the required rapid transition may impose technological and economic challenges, particularly for heavy-duty transportation and long-haul trucking.

One of the most debated regulatory changes so far this year is EPA’s decision to revisit Greenhouse Gas (GHG) …

Microgrids for Energy Access in Remote and Islanded Communities Under Natural Disasters – Context of Lombok Island Indonesia

Natural disasters (NDs) including earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and other high-impact natural phenomena cause significant power outages that interrupt human activity and industrial output. Natural disaster mitigation in the energy sector requires sophisticated control strategies, operations, and vulnerabilities. In literature, different Microgrids (MGs) configurations are adapted in such scenarios which can endure low-probability and high-impact (LPHI) occurrences because of their compact size, manageable loads, and constrained bounds. Ad hoc MGs that are low-power, transportable, and containerized can be used in emergencies by supplying electricity for critical loads. This paper includes an overview of the history of power system resilience, resilience-enhancing techniques, …

Inclusive Utility Investment Guide for Distributed Energy Resources

Inclusive utility investment is a financial solution for distributed clean energy upgrades – including DERs and energy efficiency – via a tariff for site-specific utility investment and cost recovery, approved by the utility’s regulatory authority and designed to ensure net annual cost savings for participants. SEPA partnered with Clean Energy Works to raise awareness of the value and use cases of inclusive utility investment programs, such as Pay As You Save® (PAYS®). These programs can provide financial benefits to utilities, utility customers, and building owners. Inclusive Utility Investment Guide for Distributed Energy Resources – developed with extensive contributions from industry …