Jeff St. John

Jeff St. John

Director of News and Special Projects . .

Jeff St. John is director of news and special projects at Canary Media. He covers the intersection of technological, economic, and regulatory issues influencing the global transition to low-carbon energy in the electricity, transportation, and building sectors. His areas of expertise include innovative grid technologies, rooftop solar and batteries, clean hydrogen, electric vehicles, EV charging, and broader decarbonization policy.

He is the former managing editor and senior grid-edge editor of Greentech Media, and he previously reported for The Fresno Bee, the Tri-City Herald, and the Anchorage Daily News. He lives in Alameda, California, with his wife Tara Donoghue and his dog Lily, and enjoys hiking, baking bread, and playing guitar with his nieces and nephews.

He earned a master’s degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in 2001.

Clean fleets

EV trucks and buses need costly grid updates. Should utilities pay?

A new study says ratepayers will come out ahead if utilities take on the upfront costs to build much-needed charging infrastructure for electric fleets.

By Jeff St. John . 20 April 2023
Fossil fuels

Canary talks about New York and fossil gas on The Weather Channel

Watch Canary Media’s Jeff St. John discuss the state’s plans to decarbonize its buildings and fossil gas utilities on the cable channel’s climate show, Pattrn.

By Jeff St. John . 19 April 2023
Solar

California is a rooftop solar giant. New rules could change that

Starting on April 15, new rooftop solar customers in California will earn much less for power they send to the grid, but adding batteries could improve the economics.

By Jeff St. John . 13 April 2023
Corporate procurement

Companies need a faster way to buy clean energy. Here’s a new solution

Big corporate wind and solar purchases can take over a year to complete. Google and LevelTen have come up with a way to shrink that down to 8 weeks.

By Jeff St. John . 10 April 2023
EV charging

NYC's grid is stressed. A 'smart' EV charging program aims to help

Con Ed’s revamped SmartCharge program will tap direct-to-EV communications to track and pay drivers for charging at times that reduce grid strain.

By Jeff St. John . 5 April 2023
Solar

The DOE doubles its SolSmart program, with an aim to boost local solar

Here's how hundreds of communities across the U.S. are tapping SolSmart to help streamline permitting and zoning and expand access to solar power.

By Jeff St. John . 3 April 2023
Hydrogen

The power used to make green hydrogen must be tracked down to the hour

Big fossil incumbents claim that hourly accounting for hydrogen tax credits is too complicated — but plenty of startups and nonprofits are already doing it today.

By Jeff St. John . 30 March 2023
Hydrogen

Is cheap, clean hydrogen possible? The 'green hydrogen' battle, continued

Big oil and energy companies say strict rules for hydrogen tax credits could kill a nascent industry. Clean-energy advocates say that's dead wrong.

By Jeff St. John . 29 March 2023
Grid edge

Inside a $110M plan to turn NYC apartments into virtual power plants

Logical Buildings and Keyframe Capital are behind the push to help multifamily buildings earn money from cutting energy use and curbing CO2 emissions.

By Jeff St. John . 28 March 2023
Hydrogen

The great 'green hydrogen' battle

Tens of billions in federal tax credits could build a vital low-carbon hydrogen industry — or increase carbon emissions. We tackle the complexities in a series.

By Jeff St. John . 28 March 2023