Blog
Hydrogen Got a Reprieve in the Reconciliation Bill, but It Needs More Than That to Be Cost Competitive
Utilities in at least 18 states are developing “hydrogen-ready” combined cycle (CC) or combustion turbine (CT) power plants. These plants are part of a larger shift towards maintaining a reliance on fossil fuel infrastructure, both by building new plants and keeping old ones online, spurred by a pro-coal and gas administration and fearmongering around grid…
Read MoreResilient Power in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
One of the things I cherish most about Western North Carolina is its patchwork of small, close-knit communities nestled among mountains and valleys, all interconnected by an endless web of creeks and streams. Many of these communities are rural and secluded, a contrast to the region’s population center of Asheville, where I live. Although beautiful…
Read MoreHydrogen production’s unbreakable ties to fossil fuels in the US
For the past few years, hydrogen has been proposed as a method of reducing emissions in almost every sector, from energy production, to transportation, to manufacturing. This has led to a boom in proposed hydrogen production plants, mainly focused on so-called low carbon hydrogen. But hydrogen production isn’t new. This gas has long been used…
Read MoreLong-Duration Energy Storage: What Is It, Why Do We Need It, and When Will It Get Here?
There has been a lot of excitement in the energy world around the promise of long-duration energy storage (LDES) and emerging technologies challenging the dominance of lithium-ion batteries. National and international consortiums have sprung up to advance the sector, LDES businesses have surpassed billion-dollar investment milestones, and leading states have established the first LDES procurement…
Read MoreU.S. Utilities Can Blend Hydrogen in their Gas Supply Without Informing Customers
Across the country, gas utilities are proposing to inject hydrogen into residential and industrial gas pipelines, framing the move as a climate solution. But scientific analyses have found that hydrogen blending is an expensive and inefficient way to decarbonize buildings—and may actually increase health risks and greenhouse gas emissions. Studies show that mixing hydrogen with…
Read MoreNew Energy Code Sets a National Precedent for Climate Resilient Affordable Housing
As climate change intensifies and extreme weather events become more frequent, the need for resilient, energy-secure housing has never been more urgent. In response, a team led by Clean Energy Group has taken a groundbreaking step by developing a climate resilient energy code for multifamily affordable housing — a first-of-its-kind framework aimed at ensuring that…
Read MoreThe Cape Light Compact’s Equity-Centered Model for Solar+Storage+Electrification
Since 2019, Massachusetts utilities have offered battery performance payments to wealthier customers, but without any equity provisions to help low-income residents access the program. Now, an innovative new model combining solar PV and energy storage with electrification and traditional efficiency measures is providing new opportunities for some low- and moderate-income households to fully decarbonize their…
Read MoreNew Power Plant Data Show Another Year of Racial and Economic Inequities
Peaker power plants, which produce some of the most polluting and expensive electricity on the power grid, disproportionately impact neighborhoods inhabited by low-income people and people of color. These findings are based on 2022 demographic and emissions data recently released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Clean Energy Group (CEG) tracks and analyzes this data…
Read MoreRegional Hydrogen Hubs Move Forward, Ignoring Community Pushback and Economic Uncertainty
In October of 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $7 billion in federal funding for seven regional Hydrogen Hubs. As of January 2025, five of the Hubs have been awarded an initial pot of money to initiate Phase 1 activities, which entail additional project planning and analysis as well as community and labor…
Read MoreReducing Peak Demand: Lessons from State Energy Storage Programs
States are increasingly adopting clean energy plans and climate goals, meaning our electric grids are more frequently fueled by variable renewables like solar PV and wind energy. While renewables are inexpensive and clean, they are not dispatchable without energy storage – in other words, they may not generate power at the right times to meet demand.…
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