Fossil fuels

Booming power demand is slowing climate progress for US utilities

Sierra Club analysis finds that U.S. utilities are planning a huge expansion of fossil-gas plants — a shift that’s incompatible with climate goals.

By Jeff St. John . 9 October 2024

Turbines from the Mount Storm Wind Farm behind Dominion's Mount Storm coal power plant in West Virginia. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Fossil fuels

Chart: The US hits new highs for oil and gas production

It's the hottest year on record, and the U.N. just set a global goal to phase out fossil fuels — but the U.S. is drilling for more oil and gas than ever before.

By Maria Virginia Olano . 22 December 2023
Fossil fuels

Seattle and other cities mull creative workarounds to ditch gas

After a court ruling struck down bans on fossil gas, lawmakers are devising new and innovative ways to electrify buildings.

By Akielly Hu . 20 December 2023
Electrification

Americans like home electrification — but also still love their gas stoves

Less than one-third of Americans want a fully electric home. That number jumps to 60 percent if they can keep cooking with gas.

By Tik Root . 11 December 2023
Climatetech finance

Chart: How much are oil and gas firms spending on clean energy? Not much

Fossil fuel companies accounted for just 1% of global climatetech funding last year — while continuing to invest lavishly in their planet-warming products.

By Maria Virginia Olano . 1 December 2023
Liquefied natural gas

The LNG export boom just hit a snag in Texas

A federal court has revoked a key permit for Sempra Energy, which plans to build an LNG facility in Port Arthur that could pollute Black and Latino communities.

By Lylla Younes . 21 November 2023
Climatetech finance

Chart: Clean energy attracting nearly twice as much investment as fossils

But for the world to meet its climate goals, the money needs to stop flowing to fossil fuels — and flow even faster into clean energy.

By Dan McCarthy . 10 November 2023
Just transition

The West is making mistakes as it helps developing nations get off coal

As emerging economies look to switch from coal to clean energy, some globally funded initiatives leave workers and communities behind.

By Saqib Rahim . 9 November 2023
Solar

How one solar company is succeeding in coal country

Solar advocates in southwestern Virginia say being local, proving the technology works and building a coalition to support it have been key.

By Hannah Wilson-Black . 2 November 2023
Hydrogen

The case against the US government’s big 'blue hydrogen' bet

A slice of the $7B in federal “hydrogen hub” funding will go to creating hydrogen with fossil gas and carbon capture. Advocates say that’s an emissions disaster.

By Jeff St. John . 18 October 2023
Utilities

Utilities still moving way too slow on clean energy

Despite historic wind, solar and battery subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act, U.S. utilities remain hooked on fossil fuels.

By Jeff St. John . 16 October 2023