Caroline Spears

The data center buildout could cause a massive increase in gas prices as companies scramble for limited supplies and infrastructure fails to meet demand.

☀️ Solar PPA prices jump 5% in Q3, mainly on new trade tariffs: LevelTen 📰 via utilitydive #Solar #Energy

A beautiful place.

penncapital-star.com/energy-envir...

13 days left until Election Day - I chatted with @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social & @heatmap.news on Monday about what I'm watching. heatmap.news/shift-key-15...

New @climatecabineteducation.org tool allows you to look at data center legislative proposals in GA, VA, PA, IL and TX through the lens of climate, ratepayer, taxpayer and community risks and potential guardrails.

Big election coming up - great to be on Energy Central to discuss!

Most of our clean energy & climate candidates are up in the polls for November's election.

Quotes: "Recent advances in renewables truly are revolutionary"* "We are going to end the housing crisis and leave our cities better and more vibrant than ever" *I would add batteries to this also

New research! Solving the U.S. housing shortage can be a force multiplier for gigaton-scale emissions cuts and an affordable, resilient future. Thrilled to be a co-author on this new white paper from the newly launched Housing Multiplier Project. housingmultiplier.org/wp-content/u...

Hear from @heinrich.senate.gov direction on @energyempire.bsky.social www.energyempire.fm/episodes/the...

@fervoenergy.bsky.social just achieved first power at its Cape Station geothermal development in Beaver County, Utah, "marking the first time a utility-scale enhanced geothermal development has reached this milestone anywhere in the world." fervoenergy.com/fervo-energy... 🔌💡

In other words: potentially 20 points (!!!) of ticket splitting between the Governor and Senate races in Pennsylvania.

Folks at @statenavigate.org see some razor-thin races to decide the fate of the Pennsylvania Senate: PA SD-16 (Bucks/Lehigh) 🔵 Mark Pinsley - 47% 🔴 Jarrett Coleman - 46% PA SD-24 (Berks/Montgomery) 🔵 Chris Thomas - 46% 🔴 Tracy Pennycuick - 44% Gov. Shapiro leads by 20 in both districts.

People debate what a wave means in terms of federal elections, understandably, but the consequences for local office and local power would be huge as well. Tarrant County (you’ve all seen that poll?) has extremely important races for DA, county judge, and county commissioner.

Favorite part of climate week: New York has Muji, iykyk

It’s NY Climate Week! Despite some terrible headlines, earlier this year SF Climate Week saw its biggest turnout ever. Excited to see if NY matches the buzz…

"Fewer than 25 races out of more than 7,000 legislative seats could determine whether Democrats gain five new trifectas, or none at all," @climatecabinet.org's @spears.bsky.social told @dangearino.bsky.social: insideclimatenews.org/news/1709202... 🔌💡

Hottest month on record, again. www.latimes.com/environment/...

Interesting article on making government transportation services work.

Excited for this! See you in NYC

BART’s development partners are initiating construction of 240-affordable housing units at the West Oakland BART Station on September 14, 2026. This work impacts station access including buses, vehicle and bicycle parking, pick-up/drop-off, and circulation. Thread 👇

ERCOT's "connect and manage" model gets the buzz in grid reform debates, but U.S. regions already offer a non-firm option: Energy Resource Interconnection Service. So why are IX queues still bottlenecked? Our new paper in Energy Policy investigates 🧵 👇️ www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Scoop for @heatmap.news: The Texas Public Policy Foundation disclosed what conservatives may want to do amidst the data center and transmission backlash — pass legislation to penalize solar and wind so fossil energy supplies more energy to the AI hyperscaler boom.

Climate OG Jay Inslee is back, once again pushing for state action.

It's very very hot in Texas. But the grid is fine. Electricity prices are manageable. What happened? 🔋🔋🔋🔋BATTERIES!!! 🔋🔋🔋 heatmap.news/energy/texas...

Balcony solar alert! Thanks @scottwiener.bsky.social, @joshbecker.bsky.social, @brightsaver.bsky.social & more-

Exactly what we're hearing from candidates this year - all over the country: www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/u...

Today on Volts: you may have noticed that some climate/energy types (like me) have become obsessed with housing & urban land use lately. Why? Why are they climate issues? What's the connection? The great @mateosfo.bsky.social and I attempt to answer those questions.

Meta will not have to disclose energy use and job creation numbers for its $50 billion data center in Louisiana. Regulators voted 3-1 to overturn a judge's subpoena for #Meta to produce records to demonstrate the public benefit of 7 new gas power plants. #energysky straightarrowne.ws/3TJlIwZ

@evanhalper.bsky.social is out with a sharp piece today: How utility and tech firms ‘educate’ regulators with big donations, secret retreats. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Looks like a similar result in Wisconsin - D/R turnout ratio is around 2-to-1 again. The lack of competitive top of ticket race is depressing numbers a bit on the R side - but still, that’s low

It’s another election night! Here’s the #1 thing I’m watching for tonight: Turnout gaps between the parties in WI and MN. We saw an enormous gap in Michigan. 1.5 million voted in the Democratic primary, compared to 0.9 million voting in the Republican primary. National trend or no?

GREAT zero-carbon transportation news from this week!

Michigan primary: We are watching AP estimates that have Dems with a 46% higher turnout than R voters.

When we make transit better, more people take it. It’s why we work so hard to prevent service cuts and to make service enhancements. Let’s keep fighting for transit.