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A photo of an older man wearing glasses, looking up hopefully with a little smile on his face. He wears a suit and tie and the light around him is purple. There are other people and screens out of focus in the background. — Exclusive: Bill Gates on Trump’s big bill, AI and more
Gates told Cipher in an exclusive interview that the Trump administration’s recently enacted law rolling back many climate incentives was not as bad as could have been expected. Latest News
Amy Harder 3 min read

An illustration that has six black and white portraits of six people. Background behind those portraits is a deep blue. — The Cipher team reflects on the last four years — and looks ahead
Cipher News has covered the global energy transition with an eye on the possible and a clear-eyed perspective. Latest News
Cipher Staff 7 min read

Illustration that has a line chart in the foreground in color and a black and white background photo of lots of packs of giant batteries lined up as if in a production setting. — U.S. leaps over China in battery investment — for now
The role reversal in battery-investment dominance is the result of two converging trends: tax credits in the U.S. and China pulling back its expenditures in the sector. Data Dives
Cat Clifford 2 min read

Illustration of a little grey house with a green lightning bolt on it connected by a green cord to an old-fashioned alarm clock that is ringing, as indicated by red lines coming from it. The background is a swirly light blue. — Here are four fast solutions in the current ‘race’ for power
With the rise of artificial intelligence, increased domestic manufacturing and growing electrification of vehicles and more, electricity demand in the U.S. is expected to soar in the coming years. Explainers
Cat Clifford 5 min read

Trump’s former FERC chair: Compromise key to AI energy race

Solar energy plus battery storage, with natural gas backup, is the only “plausible path forward” in the near-term, said Neil Chatterjee, a former top energy regulator during the first Trump administration. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

An illustration of a robot with

Why tariffs pose a bigger risk to renewable energy than fossil fuels

Tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump will likely hit the supply chains for wind and solar much harder than supply chains for fossil fuels. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

Thumbnail for the data dive showing renewables are more vulnerable to tariffs.

The U.S. imports virtually all its uranium for nuclear power

The United States imports 99% of the uranium concentrate it needs to make fuel for its nuclear reactors — but that could be changing. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

An area line chart in blue and green transposed over a black and white aerial photograph of a nuclear power plant.

With Trump’s support, nuclear energy eyes a revival

Amid its high-profile embrace of fossil fuels, the Trump administration is also backing nuclear energy, a carbon-free and steady source of power with enduring bipartisan support. The commitment is coming at a key time for the sector. Latest News

Cat Clifford 6 min read

An illustration of a nuclear cooling tower with a ladder on it and a construction barrier in front of it, with packing boxes surrounding it. There are also boxes on the tower with drawings of President Trump, a checklist and the U.S. Capitol building. The background is green.

Solar and batteries drive cleantech construction

More than half the cleantech projects announced across the United States in 2024 had begun construction or were operating at year’s end, according to a Cipher analysis. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

An illustration with a three dimensional bar chart in the foreground, with cleantech icons above the bars (one for wind, one for solar and one for batteries). There's also a hand holding a megaphone hovering over the chart.

Geothermal is the rare renewable energy winning favor in Trump’s America

With roots from the oil industry and a clean profile, geothermal is emerging as the one renewable energy the Trump administration actually likes. Latest News

Cat Clifford 6 min read

Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaking at the Geothermal House DC MAGMA event hosted by nonprofit geothermal advocacy organization Project InnerSpace on Tuesday March 4.

Five ways America risks global leadership on cleantech and climate

The Trump administration’s war on clean energy, from solar panels to electric cars and batteries, could imperil the United States’ leadership globally as those technologies gain favor around the world. Latest News

Cipher Staff 6 min read

An illustration of four flags -- U.S., EU, UK and China, skiing down a snowy slope that is also a solar panel. The flags have cartoon arms and legs and skis and poles. The U.S. flag is waiting at the top of the slope while the other three flags race down. Snow flurries and windmills are in the background.

Geoengineering quantified: Heat is deadlier than air pollution

As the Earth’s temperature keeps rising, scientists and entrepreneurs around the world are exploring increasingly novel ways of tackling climate change — including lessening deadly levels of heat. Explainers

Cat Clifford 5 min read

Illustration showing the comparison of risks between heat and air pollution. By Nadya Nickels

CERAWeek revisited: What a difference a decade makes

In 2016, energy producers at this giant energy conference were worried about supply far outstripping demand. This year, attendees obsessed about the opposite: the seemingly insatiable amount of energy the country needs. Latest News

Bill Spindle 3 min read

Illustration: An aging man with long white hair holds up a clock that goes from 2016 to 2025 and has a smokestack in it emitting lots of smoke. The background behind the man, who is in black and white, is green and dotted with icons: an oil drum, a shipping container, an oil jack, the state of Texas, and a little decal that reads

Power demand to tariffs: Five themes to watch at CERAWeek

As the event gets underway today, anticipation is running higher than normal because of the head-spinning changes in Washington as President Donald Trump’s administration puts its mark on United States energy policy. Latest News

Bill Spindle 3 min read

An illustration with six bubbles against a blue background. The bubbles contain a cargo ship, electricity towers, an oil jack, a judge's gavel, a stack of documents and the words

How United Nations climate conferences work

In partnership with Encyclopædia Britannica, Cipher will be publishing occasional articles offering background and context on important climate programs, technologies and leaders. This article is the first in the series. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 6 min read

An illustration that has a globe in one corner, multicolor puzzle pieces in another, a document with a blue ribbon on another corner, and people talking around a table in the other corner.

Under Trump, carbon capture sector mulls rebrand and sees optimism

While some parts of the clean energy sector have faced high-profile criticism under the new Trump administration — think electric cars and wind energy — carbon capture technologies have so far not faced similar scrutiny. Uncertainty still looms large. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

An illustration with a cut out in the shape of Donald Trump's head with a power plant, cast in green, inside the cutout. On a blue background behind the cut out, there's also a scribbled silhouette of Trump's head in what looks like a darker blue marker.

Cipher roundup: Funding freeze, IRA, tariffs, layoffs and Russia

Cipher’s reporters have been following the latest energy and climate developments. We’re providing a high-level look at where things stand on several key topics, including quick analysis from our team and top news stories. Latest News

Cipher Staff 7 min read

A drawing of a tornado filled with clean energy tech — a wind turbine, a solar panel, etc., and a woman with a green lasso around the tornado, pulling on it. She has a green swizzle above her head to suggest confusion.

Solar’s dizzying investments return to normal level

China's investments in solar factories plunged after reaching a high in 2023. U.S. investments, meanwhile, are steadily rising. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

An illustration that has a bar chart in the foreground and a photo of a man standing in front of a solar panel in a factory setting in the background. The photo is tinted light blue.

Chile offers case study in critical mineral mining

Critical minerals — from copper to lithium and rare earth elements — are essential to the energy transition. But getting them from the earth into use isn’t easy. Explainers

Bill Spindle 5 min read

A photograph of a barren looking desert landscape with a white salt lake in the foreground and tall rocky mountains in the background. The landscape has a reddish quality to it and the sky is clear and blue.

A re-energized Trump seeks to boost fossil fuel production, dismantle climate programs

In the first 24 hours of his second presidency, Donald Trump laid the foundation for his “America First” energy agenda over the next four years. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

President Donald Trump sits at a desk with the seal of the president of the United States on it and holds up a black folder with two pieces of white paper on it with writing and his large signature in black ink. Vice President JD Vance stands behind him, looking up at the crowd. They are on stage at the Capital One Arena and in the photo you can see red electronic banners that read

Meet the unflappable physicist helping make fusion possible

Fusion could, if scaled up, promise a virtually unlimited, low-carbon and reliable source of power. Getting there will require more leadership from people like Richard Town. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

Richard Town, who leads the inertial confinement fusion program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, standing inside the National Ignition Facility at Livermore.

Data centers drive up projected electricity growth in the U.S.

In just two years, the growth of data centers — fueled in part by artificial intelligence’s rapid integration into our livelihoods — have dramatically reshaped expectations for future energy consumption in the United States. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

A robotic hand holds a bar chart with three blue bars in it. The hand and the background are all overlaid in green.

China has a new sweeping energy law. Here’s what you need to know.

China has just approved a set of sweeping new energy regulations that will set the tone for the country’s future energy development. Explainers

Xiaoying You 4 min read

An illustration that shows a multiple choice test. The question is just the Chinese flag, and the options are a solar panel, a wind turbine, a piece of coal, and a piece of paper representing a law. The answer, which is being hovered over with by a giant mouse cursor is

2025 climate solutions trends: Scrutiny, humility and surprises (probably!)

Amy Harder shares the five global climate solutions trends she's watching in 2025. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

An illustration of the year

Eleventh-hour hydrogen rule to face uncertainty in Trump administration

The Biden administration released its long-awaited final guidance for clean hydrogen tax credits. The rules are crucial for the nascent sector to move forward — and face uncertainty under the incoming Trump administration. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

An illustration of a hydrogen plant powered by wind turbines on an island of green foliage floating on a blue backdrop.

Rounding up the best of Cipher in 2024

This was a big year for the energy transition and a busy year for Cipher. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite articles from 2024 and offer them to you here for easy reading. Latest News

Cipher Staff 4 min read

A collage of many illustrations with a thin blue overlay and

2024 reflections: AI power, elections and more

We knew some of what this year would bring — like consequential elections — while some events took many of us by surprise — like a sudden boom in electricity demand fueled (largely) by artificial intelligence. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

An illustration of the Earth in the top of an hourglass, slowly disintegrating into sand that's falling through the hourglass. Next to the hourglass, on the right, the year

Japan’s plan for net zero increasingly rests on a big hydrogen bet

Japanese executives and officials hope to keep fossil fuel power generators going and gradually replace the coal and gas with low-carbon ammonia, hydrogen and biomass. Betting big on the future hydrogen is risky, however. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

A giant hand holds up a hydrogen tank in front of the Japanese flag, a power plant and wind turbines.

What Trump’s win means for China’s cleantech industry

The 2024 U.S. election results mean uncertainty — and potential opportunities — to Chinese firms and researchers. Latest News

Xiaoying You 5 min read

A photo of a solar panel in a manufacturing facility with flourescent lighting and workers in the background and big blue Chinese characters on the wall.

Global cleantech market to top $2 trillion by 2035 – IEA

The global clean technology market has more than tripled in the last eight years and, under current policies, is expected to nearly triple again by 2035. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

Illustration of a horizontal bar chart superimposed over a dark blue map of the world.

How to improve life for humanity — and not worsen global warming

Access to reliable energy dramatically improves the quality of people’s lives. And the world needs a lot more energy to bring billions of people out of poverty. Explainers

Cat Clifford 4 min read

An illustration with dots coming out from a globe.

Election day with a political junkie

Election Day was a day of firsts for me as a political reporter and long-time Washington resident. Reporter's Notebook

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

An illustration of a notebook with an outline of the United States and a red check mark. The notebook is surrounded by a pen and a

Get caught up fast: Comparing Harris and Trump on energy and climate

As Americans head to the polls, they face a clear choice between two contrasting visions for climate and clean energy policies. Explainers

Tory Lysik & Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

Illustration showing Kamala Harris in blue and Donald Trump in red with the U.S. Capitol building in green between them. Icons for solar panels, nuclear, wind, hydrogen and fossil fuels surround them.

Why cleantech is booming in GOP-led states

Whether it’s storing carbon dioxide, making wind turbines, installing solar panels or producing electric vehicles, Republican-leaning states are outpacing their Democratic counterparts in drawing coveted investment dollars. Explainers

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

An illustration of the United States, with some of the states highlighted in red. Around the map there are green icons of wind turbines, solar power, nuclear energy, biofuels and batteries.

In Wisconsin, I saw how the global energy transition is a local challenge

Cat Clifford shares what she learned while having tricky conversations about clean energy in Wisconsin ahead of the 2024 election. Reporter's Notebook

Cat Clifford 3 min read

Illustration for the Wisconsin Reporter's Notebook

Southeast Asia’s path to universal energy access and net-zero emissions

Southeast Asia is projected to keep increasing its reliance on carbon-intensive fuels like coal for the next 25 years. We need to slow, and ideally reverse, that fossil dependence. Voices

Nicole Iseppi & Sunita Dubey 4 min read

Aerial photo of a solar farm next to a small town and green fields.

Pennsylvania schools turn to solar for a cleaner — cheaper — future

The Steelton-Highspire school runs its buildings on 100% solar power and has a fleet of electric buses. In Steelton and communities like it across this politically divided state, the interest in clean energy stems primarily from the potential cost savings. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

An illustration with a blue background that has a hand holding the shape of Pennsylvania with

A reporter returns home to Michigan to take stock of cleantech

After decades living and working overseas, Bill Spindle recently jumped at the chance to return to Ann Arbor to look at the city’s ambitious decarbonization plans ahead of the coming U.S. presidential election. Reporter's Notebook

Bill Spindle 2 min read

An illustration of a notebook with the words

In Michigan, climate and clean energy initiatives are gaining momentum

The city of Ann Arbor in eastern Michigan shows how elections can make a difference in clean energy momentum. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

Illustration of a hand putting a cutout of the state of Michigan into a ballot box, with a tree, solar panels and an electric car drawn around the ballot box.

Progress under a microscope at New York Climate Week

Cipher’s team was on the ground in the Big Apple. In all the chaos and busyness, here’s what stood out to our reporters. Latest News

Cipher Staff 6 min read

Photo of traffic in NYC, a sign above the traffic warns of gridlock.

New York leads the way on cleaning up our buildings

New York is showing other states how to transform their buildings and save people money. Voices

Sara Baldwin 3 min read

Illustration of a building in black and white with green fire escapes, light blue background.

Lower interest rates should offer relief to renewables

The events of the last few years have changed the math for clean energy projects, and the industry’s challenges are far from over. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

An illustration of a wind turbine, solar panel and hydrogen tank with a parachute lowering a percent symbol.

China hit its wind and solar goal six years early

China’s grid was built for coal power, which generates electricity constantly, so it is struggling to adapt to wind and solar, which only generate power when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. Latest News

Xiaoying You 4 min read

A photograph of a red tug boat pulling a double-headed wind turbine out to sea.

Space solar inspires hope and skepticism as it inches closer to reality

The idea of powering the planet with energy from space is revolutionary and intriguing. Until recently, it seemed unfeasible. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

An illustration of an astronaut of a ladder up into space from the surface of Earth, holding up a solar panel to get the rays of the sun. The solar panel is plugged into a plug on the surface of Earth.

Majority of top states for jobs from new clean energy projects are GOP, battleground

Politically conservative and battleground states are leading the way in jobs created by new clean energy projects announced since President Biden’s signature climate law passed two years ago. Data Dives

Cat Clifford < 1

Illustration of a bar chart on top of an outline of the United States map with a black and white photo of wind turbines inside.

Here’s how cleantech stacks up in three swing states

We take stock of cleantech and the election in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Latest News

Cipher Staff 5 min read

An illustration of the states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania above a ballot box where a hand is submitting a green leaf.

Mapping clean energy on the highway

The very same roads that have fueled our car culture, and carbon emissions, could ultimately play a vital role powering our national grid with clean energy. Voices

Allie Kelly & Pat Cummens 3 min read

An aerial view of a highway with solar panels next to it, with a map of the highway intersection superimposed on top of it.

At two years, GOP states benefit the most from climate law

At the two-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, the nation's signature climate law, Republican-led states are benefiting most from the law's clean energy tax credits. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

Illustration with a green bar chart overlaid on top of a photo of two people standing by a large wind turbine in a field.

Nuclear energy could undergo a renaissance. Here’s what to know.

So much innovation is happening in the nuclear industry right now. There is fresh optimism about new ways nuclear power can help decarbonize global economies. And, at the same time, the nuclear industry must show it is up to the challenge. Explainers

Cat Clifford 11 min read

Renewed interest in nuclear energy bolsters uranium prices

The price per pound of uranium has more than tripled over the past four years as interest in nuclear power has grown. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

An illustration of a line chart with coins stacked up underneath it.

Surging power demand fuels new nuclear interest, federal funding

The exploding global demand for energy, combined with the urgent race to reduce carbon emissions, is focusing interest and investment on the once-staid, long-stagnant nuclear industry. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

An illustration with a blue background showing a renaissance statue and two types of nuclear reactors.

U.S. cleantech spending benefits marginalized communities

Communities hit hardest by climate impacts, unchecked pollution and coal-related job losses have received an outsized share of U.S. cleantech spending under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, according to an updated Clean Investment Monitor analysis shared exclusively with Cipher. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

An illustration with a light blue back drop and a bar chart in green and dark blue on top.

Trade is key to countering China’s clean energy dominance

Contrary to today’s protectionist trends, the best antidote to concerns about China’s cleantech dominance is more trade, not less. Voices

Jason Bordoff 5 min read

Illustration of two ships, one blue with an American flag, one red with a Chinese flag. In the sky, the clouds are slightly green and shaped like the continents of the Earth.

Singapore seeks leading role in clean energy

Southeast Asia doesn't have a regional capital to act as organizer and promoter of its clean energy efforts. Singapore is trying to step into that role. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Singapore's skyline at sunset, dotted by spectacular tall buildings.

Plotting a new clean industrial revolution

Cipher journalists were on the ground in London last week covering the second-ever Breakthrough Energy Summit. Here are some of the key takeaways from that event. Latest News

Cipher Staff 6 min read

A large refurbished industrial space with steel beams and a glass ceiling. People mill about below.

The carbon credit industry attempts a comeback

Over the last two years, the industry has faced a barrage of critical news stories, academic studies and lawsuits. But in recent weeks, carbon credits have received some big boosts. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Illustration with a green background, showing a cloud with

Europe enters elections as global clean power leader

As Europeans head to the polls this weekend to vote in the European Union’s parliamentary elections, they can boast one of the cleanest electricity mixes in the world. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Lines from a line chart stretch across a black and white photo of a wind turbine in a field.

Lithium leads critical minerals boom: Cipher tracker

North Carolina and Nevada are emerging as centers of mining and processing lithium, a mineral critical for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage. The article examines the progress the United States has made since the enactment of key federal laws in establishing manufacturing facilities to make battery ready lithium. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 6 min read

An illustration showing a map of a region in North Carolina where there is a proposed lithium mine and someone holding up a rock containing lithium.

How teamwork could be Europe’s secret sauce on cleantech

The European Union is scrambling not to lag behind in the global cleantech race. One solution? Be a better team player at home. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

Inside a (nearly) ‘net-zero’ natural gas plant

NET Power's demonstration plant is an example of innovative efforts in a small but growing segment of the oil and gas industry to find ways to reduce emissions associated with using their products. Explainers

Cat Clifford 6 min read

An exterior view of the NET Power demonstration plant in LaPorte, Texas.

Global cleantech competition threatens Latin American and Caribbean ambitions

Latin American and Caribbean nations are poised to embrace the energy transition, but stiff competition from the United States and the European Union are making those ambitions harder to meet. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

Located along the Brazil-Paraguay border on the Parana River, Itaipu Dam is the world's third largest hydroelectric dam.

Europe passes cleantech law everyone agrees is not enough

Europe’s new law is meant to make it easier to get a manufacturing hub off the ground for key clean technologies. Supporters say the law is a good step forward; critics say it's a missed opportunity. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

A glass cylindrical building with the EU flag and the flags of European countries waving in the wind outside.

Full U.S. energy loan chief interview: utilities, hydrogen and more

Jigar Shah, head of the U.S. Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office, shares his thoughts on disrupting the power sector, hydrogen production and transportation and more. Latest News

Cat Clifford 8 min read

An photo collage including a picture of Jigar Shah, head of the DOE's Loan Programs Office, a government building, and solar panels.

EPA’s new power plant rule spotlights carbon capture role in cutting emissions

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unveiled its final rule to limit carbon pollution from the existing fleet of coal-fired plants and not yet built natural gas fired plants. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

A man, Michael Regan, speaks in a wood paneled room (a Congressional hearing room).

U.S. energy loan chief on hydrogen, peak power demand, pipelines and his coffee mug

Cipher sits down with Jigar Shah, director of the Loan Programs Office in the U.S. Energy Department for a Q&A about the energy transition landscape. Q&A

Cat Clifford 4 min read

Jigar Shah, director of the Loan Programs Office, speaking at CERA Week in March. Against a purple background

U.S. energy loan chief wants “culture and norms” disrupted

Jigar Shah is trying to use his perch overseeing the department’s Loan Programs Office to help move the multi-headed behemoth that is the U.S. electricity industry into a decarbonized future. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

Photo of the the Department of Energy Building in downtown Washington DC, USA, against a blue backdrop.

US investment in carbon removal needs to increase exponentially, finds report

To reach net zero by midcentury, the United States will need to be able to remove a gigaton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per year by 2050, according to Rhodium Group. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

Bar charts running from top to bottom in shades of blue.

Surging power demand spurs smarter electric grid use

Electricity demand is going up; building new transmission lines is really hard. But there are a number of improvements that could help us get more out of the existing grid today. Explainers

Cat Clifford 7 min read

An illustration with a blue background with overlapping pictures of different transmission towers, with a green arrow pointing up and to the right.

A political surprise in coal country could provide a lesson for oil country

Conservative U.S. states like Texas, with deep historical and economic connections to the fossil fuel industry, could learn from Poland, once a fossil fuel stronghold turning toward renewables. Voices

Pete Harrison 3 min read

Illustration of a globe with Texas and Poland emphasized with two hands in front, one holding a solar array and one holding a dump truck filled with coal.

Changes in US tax rules provide big boost for renewables

Changes in how U.S. tax credits can be deployed are giving renewable energy financing a big boost. Explainers

Bill Spindle 3 min read

Animated illustration, dollar bills blow in front of the word

Europe struggles to balance emission cuts with political realities

The EU is mulling ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions by 2040 ahead of politically-sensitive parliamentary elections this year. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

A see saw with a wind-powered hydrogen plant on one side and a tractor on the other, with the stars of the European Union behind it.

Biden administration proposes tight clean power limits for making hydrogen

Biden administration proposes strict criteria for claiming production tax credits for producers using grid power to make hydrogen. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

Image of John Podesta

How to build demand for clean hydrogen

Almost no clean hydrogen exists in the U.S. today, and barely any demand either. To fill these gaps, a debate is brewing about how exactly to use the odorless and abundant molecule in the most effective and efficient ways. Explainers

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

White pipes with a red release valve with 'Hydrogen H2' written on the side of a pipe.

Cleantech startups spot government funding gap

Proponents of clean steel say they have identified a gap in tax credits that affects makers of a wide range of sustainable materials. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Worker pouring liquid metal into a crucible

Norway leader on deep-sea mining, carbon capture and wind woes

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke candidly about his views on global and domestic energy and climate policies with Cipher Executive Editor Amy Harder at New York Climate Week. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid & Amy Harder 3 min read

Cipher Executive Editor Amy Harder interviews Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre

U.S. cleantech investment soars, new database finds

U.S. cleantech investments have nearly tripled in the past five years since the enactment of three key pieces of legislation, according to a new database from Rhodium Group and MIT CEEPR. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

Blue and green horizontal bars.

John Podesta on big oil, extreme weather and wind woes

White House advisor John Podesta sat down with Cipher for an exclusive interview halfway through his promised two-year position leading the rollout of the biggest climate law in U.S. history. Q&A

Amy Harder 5 min read

Graphic of John Podesta

Border carbon taxes poised to shut out lower income nations

Critics say a border carbon tax on dirtier and cheaper imports will result in an unjust energy transition for poorer countries in violation of the Paris Agreement. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Flags of developing countries over a picture of the Earth on one side and pennies cut to look like Pacmen surround a smokestack on the other.

One year into climate law, data shows U.S. lagging 2030 goals

One year after becoming law, recent studies by the Rhodium Group and BloombergNEF show the Inflation Reduction Act will have "a muted impact" on the industrial, agricultural and building sectors of the economy. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid < 1

Colorful line chart representing different scenarios for IRA tax credits.

Europe sparks U.S. border carbon tax talks

Taking a page from the EU playbook, U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are considering a border carbon tax on cheaper and dirtier imports. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Pacman coin engulfing ships and a factory representing dirty carbon imports.

Carbon recyclers say climate law could hurt business

Companies re-utilizing CO2 in the production of everyday products did not receive the same tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act as those involved in storing CO2, prompting questions of parity. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Smoke stacks in red and sustainable products like a dress and a plane in blue. Carbon emissions being reutilized in fabric, aviation fuel, etc.. instead of being released into the atmosphere.

The many ways of removing carbon from the air

Governments and companies are increasingly betting on a mix of technologies to remove huge amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air as the effects of climate change become more and more pronounced. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Bonus solar tax credits depend on unbuilt U.S. factories

Solar energy developers could earn bonus tax credits for using American-made content in their solar cells—but the factories making those key parts are not yet up and running. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid < 1

Bar chart in shades of blue.

Why we need to remove carbon from the air

To avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change—and achieve a net-zero world—we need to not only reduce our emissions, but also remove residual carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

As tax debate rages, massive scale needed for clean hydrogen

The United States will need to turbocharge clean hydrogen production if it hopes to meet the Biden administration’s ambitious targets, according to a recent study by two think tanks. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

Japan, an economic leader in Asia, lags on renewable energy

Japan, the only Asian member of the elite Group of Seven countries (G7), is lagging in its efforts to decarbonize the world’s third-largest economy, according to climate advocates and scientists. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

Offshore wind to test Europe’s teamwork

Europe is betting heavily on offshore wind to decarbonize its energy system and boost its energy security, looking at the North Sea—nestled between seven countries and connected to the Atlantic Ocean—as its next giant green power plant. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

Welcome to our wild and wonky climate future

Our climate debate just went from black and white to shades of gray all over. After decades of mostly binary debates over whether climate change is real and whether Washington, D.C. should pass laws addressing it, the Inflation Reduction Act is helping usher in a new, byzantine reality that is scrambling everything and everyone. Harder Line

Amy Harder 4 min read

U.S. carbon storage projects pile up at EPA

As Washington wages parallel battles on permitting and new environmental regulations, one conundrum crisscrosses both: A pileup of permit applications to store carbon dioxide underground. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

With profits reigning, clean energy struggles to compete

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund—the largest of its kind in the world at more than $1.3 trillion—has made some 10,000 investments across the global economy. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

How to understand the U.S. battle over hydrogen tax credits

A battle as complex as it is significant is brewing in the global race to secure government subsidies to scale up an American clean hydrogen economy. Explainers

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

Renewables boss says world needs to prop up new energy system

Power grids, undersea cables and ports are overlooked yet essential connectors ensuring renewable energy can flow across great distances from production to consumption. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Storage quest arises amid hydrogen rush

Two underground caverns nearly twice the height of the Eiffel Tower are poised to store enough hydrogen to provide seasonal backup for variable renewable electricity. Explainers

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Europe wants to capture business by storing carbon under the sea

Nestled between seven countries and connected to the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea has long been crucial to European development with diverse fishing grounds, key shipping routes and generous oil and gas reserves. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

Record U.S. renewable electricity to replace fossil fuel power

The U.S. electricity grid is undergoing a rapid energy about-face: A record amount of clean energy is set to come online this year at the same time fossil-fuel power plants keep retiring at a fast clip, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid < 1

chart of U.S. new electric-generating capacity planned for 2023

Nuclear support grows amid push for clean hydrogen

The United States’ first hydrogen plant fueled by nuclear energy has just powered up in New York. The moment reflects two trends converging in the past few years. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

In Norway, global tension over fossil fuels and climate change

Oslo, Norway — This Nordic country is grappling with an inner conflict, accentuated by Russia’s war in Ukraine, that pits its oil and gas wealth against its climate change ambitions. Harder Line

Amy Harder 4 min read

Europe scrambles to reclaim its industrial edge

The European Union wants to get its industrial groove back. The world’s largest trading bloc is scrambling to take part in the global cleantech race. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Moving from talk to action on grid reliability

Increasingly common severe weather events are catapulting America’s aging power system into the headlines. When the lights are out for even a few hours, life as we know it is disrupted, often with tragic consequences. Voices

Rob Gramlich 3 min read

Massive cleantech deployment needed to reach net zero

Countries need to “dramatically” increase the scale and speed of clean energy technology deployment for a chance to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century, the International Energy Agency (IEA) found in a new report. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Graph of global deployment of clean energy techonologies

Labor leads efforts to turn federal climate policy into good jobs

Successful pro-climate and pro-worker ballot initiatives in the 2022 midterm elections indicated voters across the United States want elected officials to lead on climate action that creates good jobs. Voices

Mike Fishman 3 min read

Long-duration energy storage projects set for growth despite hurdles

Interest in long-duration energy storage (LDES) projects is growing around the world, but developers will struggle to scale the technology up cost effectively before 2030. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Graph of average duration of global energy storage systems

Europe braces for next winter’s energy gamble

Europe is getting anxious—again. Thanks largely to unusually warm weather, along with government planning and a bit of luck, Europeans can breathe a sigh of relief: They have enough natural gas to heat their homes this winter. Harder Line

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Energy security and federal climate funding to shape 2023

A historic 2022 will drive what happens this year. In our last December edition, we reflected on the five trends we predicted would shape 2022. This week, we’re looking at five trends we’re watching at Cipher in 2023. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

War and new climate law make history in 2022

Every year since 2018, I’ve looked back and ahead at the trends shaping the past year and the year to come, including reality checks of my previous predictions. We’re keeping the tradition going. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

Low-carbon power and electric vehicle investments drive path to net zero

The world needs to nearly triple investments in low-carbon electricity and carbon capture technologies in the power sector for a chance to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, according to a new report by BloombergNEF. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Graph of Global investment needs in the energy sector by 2050

Climate goals rising in countries that use the most coal

The overwhelming majority of global coal consumption occurs in countries that have pledged to limit or phase out their reliance on the fuel, according to a report out this month from the International Energy Agency. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Graph of number of countries with plans to phase down coal use and net-zero emissions pledges

As the world bakes, developing world scrambles to adapt

The world is not cutting emissions fast enough to slow climate change, leaving everyone—but especially developing nations—scrambling to adapt to a hotter planet and its extreme-weather consequences. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

How to unlock clean tech for the developing world

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt—A half day’s drive from this resort town where thousands are gathered at an annual climate gathering, one of the world’s biggest solar farms stands as a rare example of how clean energy can be financed and built in a developing country. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Clean tech is not reaching the developing world fast enough

Not enough cash is flowing to clean energy technologies in the developing world, widening the investment gap between rich and poorer countries and hampering the energy transition. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Energy security and new laws fuel clean energy race

Nations are increasingly competing to establish themselves as pioneers of clean energy technologies, racing to boost energy self-sufficiency and green their economies. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Net zero future needs more, better, faster

If the world is to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, leading regions and sectors must get there much faster—and go even further. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Chart of energy-related CO2 emissions of different regions in 2050

Looking back to move ahead: Lessons learned from cleantech 1.0

Conventional wisdom says cleantech 1.0 was a bust. In a nutshell, cleantech 1.0: Beginning in 2006, venture capitalists poured more than $25 billion into clean energy technologies. Harder Line

Amy Harder 4 min read

Renewables are cheap but not always available: storage hurdles

The world is rapidly scaling up wind and solar electricity, but technology to store these variable forms of energy is lagging. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Collaboration could help tackle climate change faster, more affordably

When it comes to tackling climate change, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Europe grapples with energy crisis while climate pressure ramps up

World leaders are gathering this week in the United States at two key conferences aimed at ratcheting up pressure to turn ambitious climate goals into reality. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Clean jet fuel could take off with new climate law

The U.S. government is for the first time in history singling out and subsidizing cleaner aviation fuel. Such a move is poised to help clean up one of the most high-profile ways our society contributes to climate change. Harder Line

Amy Harder 4 min read

Trifecta of new laws snaps U.S. climate policy into place

The U.S. government has passed three laws in the past year that together amount to an industrial policy aimed at combatting climate change. Data Dives

Amy Harder 2 min read

Chart of U.S. federal clean energy spending

U.S. climate spending comes with a global perk: regained respect

The United States’ decision to pour hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up clean energy may have given the country more than what money can bring: an opportunity to renew its credibility at November’s international climate negotiations. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Forget sticks, Congress embraces carrots to tackle climate change

The U.S. government is on the cusp of its largest-ever embrace of carrots to tackle climate change. Not literally carrots, of course. That would be a lot of pressure on a vegetable. Harder Line

Amy Harder 4 min read

More investment and lower costs: Three charts on the Inflation Reduction Act

Amy Harder < 1

Chart on the Inflation Reduction Act

Bracing for winter, Europe clings to natural gas

August is the time to hit the beach in Europe, but for many the focus is on something cooler: Winter is coming. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Alliances and portfolios are key to fighting climate change

Many people appreciate the value of a portfolio approach to researching and developing clean energy technologies: We need different tech for different purposes. Voices

Ken Caldeira 3 min read

Rocky path to wind growth offers cautionary tale for cleantech tax credits

The U.S. Congress’ on-again-off-again relationship with wind energy tax credits portends choppy roads ahead for all types of cleantech. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Europe jockeys for space in renewables race

Time to take out a map and get organized. It sounds basic, yet it’s an important—and potentially contentious—exercise the European Union is embarking on to figure out the best spots to fit more wind and solar farms. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

If we can’t build things, we can’t tackle climate change: potential solutions

The U.S. government, venture capitalists and academics are looking for solutions to a messy trio of local opposition, outdated permitting processes and backlogged bureaucracy that’s threatening to upend America’s rapid shift to clean energy. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Africa poised for clean energy potential, but basic needs lacking

A lack of basic access to energy sources remains one of the main barriers to Africa’s industrial development, according to a report out this month from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Energy savings: an easy option but a tough sell

Building renovations, heat pumps and triple-glazed windows are rarely the talk of the town—yet these kinds of energy efficiency measures are central to the European Union’s plan to shed Russian fossil fuels following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

How Europe uses natural gas and what needs to change

Natural gas—particularly Russian gas—has been a source of anxiety for European Union leaders over the last several months as they scramble to find solutions in case Moscow, the bloc’s biggest gas supplier, decides to shut off the tap. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Russian invasion prompts scramble for nuclear fuel

In the wake of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, Washington is rushing to find new sources of a particular kind of advanced nuclear fuel whose sole commercial producer is a Russian company. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Fight brews in Europe over how to supply renewable hydrogen

Tucked between two fjords, the Norwegian peninsula of Herøya recently became home to the world’s first fully automated facility that builds electrolyzers. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

EU electric charging points booming but not across the board

The European Union’s public electric charging infrastructure has been growing quickly, but the adoption rate varies greatly across member states. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Slow approval of renewables projects puts climate goals at risk

In 2012, a Danish renewable energy developer applied for a permit to build an offshore wind farm in the country’s southern waters that could power 350,000 homes. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Despite growth, big leaps needed for direct air capture tech

Technology that’s able to capture carbon dioxide directly from the sky is advancing rapidly, but it needs to grow much more to fill its role in combating climate change, a new International Energy Agency report finds. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Risky business: betting on climate tech in an uncertain world

For nearly 50 harrowing days (and counting), Ukrainians have risked their lives defending their homeland from Russia. For more than two years, all of us have weighed innumerable risks living through a relentless pandemic. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

The real test of the EU’s energy freedom goals: sticking with the plan

In the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European leaders have vowed to shed their dependence on Russian gas and charge full speed into tapping renewable energy. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Climate goals would slash long-term EU natural gas demand

According to the The European Commission, fully implementing existing energy and climate proposals would lower European Union gas consumption 30% by 2030. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

National security comes roaring back as argument for climate policy

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is catapulting a dormant argument for climate policy to the top of everyone’s mind: national security. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

EU’s pipeline politics shows urgency of green energy transition

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has gotten the European Union scrambling for both political solutions and alternative sources of energy to replace the fossil fuel it’s hugely reliant on: natural gas. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Urgency grows for obscure clean-energy tax provision

Tucked alongside more than $300 billion worth of clean-energy tax credits pending in Congress is an obscure but important provision whose supporters span the corporate gamut. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Clean-energy tax credits offer affordable climate policy: study

Costs for wind and solar electricity have dropped so much over the past decade that tax credits supporting them are a wildly affordable way to tackle climate change. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Five ways to make net zero happen

Governments increasingly understand the urgency of climate change. Ahead of and during COP26, the 2021 Glasgow climate summit, many have committed to zero carbon emissions by mid-century. Voices

Sam Frankhauser 2 min read

Visualizing the deployment gap in cars, carbon and more

The climate provisions of the Build Back Better bill would give a boost of anywhere between 39% and 75% in key clean energy technologies, according to data by Rhodium Group. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Why the government needs to speed up our energy transition

To summarize almost 200 years of the developed world’s energy history in 20 words: Wood came first, and then coal was king, and now oil and natural gas are dominating energy consumption today. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Lofty climate-change goals risk becoming empty promises

An overlapping mix of corporate pledges, investment fervor and government targets risk setting us up for a dangerous phase in the quest to tackle climate change. Harder Line

Amy Harder 4 min read

U.S. federal funding for carbon removal tech skyrockets

The big increase in funding beginning this year reflects the infrastructure law’s appropriations for carbon removal technologies. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Looking back and ahead: climate tech trends in 2021 and 2022

Much like the curve of the Earth you can’t see from the ground, we’ve embarked on a curve in energy and climate history. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

Record-breaking cleantech investments

The infrastructure law and the still-pending Build Back Better bill would inject record-breaking amounts of federal funding into energy research, development and deployment. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

U.S. climate and energy laws push rest of world, IEA chief says

The recently passed infrastructure law will have a ripple effect worldwide and encourage other governments to invest in new clean energy technologies. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Climate talks reveal big progress, but it’s not coming fast enough

When gauging progress, it's important not just to look ahead to where you need to go but also to look back to see where you've been. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Fitting the pieces of energy, climate together: This is how things change

Climate change is like a puzzle whose pieces are constantly changing in size and shape. Our focus at Cipher is on the technological transformations needed to get to net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Record-breaking investments going into climate since Paris Agreement

A record nearly $30 billion of venture capital money has gone into climate-change technologies so far this year, according to an exclusive sneak peak of a forthcoming report by PitchBook. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1