Latest Articles

San Antonio utility 'floored' by low prices, increases order to 400 MW of solar

CPS, the municipal utility in San Antonio, Texas, is making a strong play for favorite utility of the year. The utility has a 14 MW plant up and running, contracts for another 3 plants of 10 MW each, and an an oversubscribed standard offer contract program for another 10 MW.  All pleasant experiences to date…so […]

In dimwitted move, GOP set to repeal lightbulb standard that saves billions

Republican lawmakers want to repeal the Energy Independence and Security Act, which saved consumers money by setting lightbulb efficiency standards.

Scary maps of the new climate normal

Every state experienced warmer temperatures in 1981-2010 compared with 1971-2000. Take a look at some alarming maps that illustrate the changes.

Trashtivist: Reliving my trashy past

Back in college, I carried my own trash around with me everywhere I went. Now, the Grist staff has challenged me to do it again.

Correcting faulty math on renewable energy

Scientists agree that clean energy is the basis around which we can build a low-carbon, sustainable, global energy economy.

Plastic purge: Homemade tortillas and hummus

We don't need no stinkin' plastic! We made our own tortillas. And hummus, too.

But what if NYC bikers were terrorists??

This is not even the first time that someone in New York City has compared cyclists to terrorists, but it might be the dumbest: New York's CBS 2 is concerned that bike lanes will facilitate acts of terror.

A Second Avenue bike lane is next to the Israeli consulate, leaving many wondering what would happen if a man on a bike were a terrorist.

In the market for a Tiny House? Here's where to buy one

The economy sucks, housing prices have yet to hit bottom, and your biggest fixed expense is almost certainly rent, unless it's summertime, in which case it's your electricity bill. Sounds like it's time to lead a richer life by reducing your dependence on worldly goods and wasted energy, no?

Relocating prairie dogs displaced by solar power

It's nowhere near the level of destruction wrought by coal mines, oil and gas wells, or giant conventional power plants, but solar installations do have their consequences. Among them: making habitats hostile to prairie dogs.

Michigan woman could face jail time for growing a garden

The green movement doesn't have much use for lawns. Yeah, they make suburban enclaves look tidy and uniform, but really, would it be so effing bad if your house had something useful -- say, a vegetable garden -- instead of a high-maintenance water-hog outdoor carpet? What's the worst that could happen? Well, as Michigan woman Julie Bass discovered, if your city planner is certifiably power-crazy, you could be looking at 93 days in jail.