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Reporter's Notebook

Latest

An illustration of a green notebook with — Home court advantage: Whirling turbines, solarized schools and of course, food poisoning
For Amena Saiyid, returning to Pakistan to report on clean energy both challenged her as a journalist and gave her an opportunity to see her home country with fresh eyes. Reporter's Notebook
Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

An illustration of an open notebook with the words — In a faraway region, winds and nature are powerful forces to balance
Reporter Bill Spindle reflects on his visit to the Haru Oni sustainable fuels project in southern Chile. With dozens of similar projects planned for the region, preserving the region's ecosystems will require careful balance. Reporter's Notebook
Bill Spindle 3 min read

An illustration of a notebook open on a table with the words — A behind-the-scenes tour of the world’s biggest nuclear power plant
A reporter gets a look inside efforts to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear facility in Japan, the world’s largest nuclear power plant. Reporter's Notebook
Bill Spindle 4 min read

An illustration of an open spiral notebook with the words — In Argentina’s vast and little populated middle, I saw the energy transition in action
During three weeks of reporting, Bill Spindle saw two faces of Argentina’s fast-expanding energy industry. Reporter's Notebook
Bill Spindle 3 min read

CERAWeek and the power of plenty

'More, more, more' has been the mantra of the giant energy conference CERAWeek by S&P Global this year, writes Bill Spindle from the event in Houston. Reporter's Notebook

Bill Spindle 3 min read

An illustration that has a notebook, with the words

In rural India, this reporter saw two sides of the country’s energy transition

Contributor Anuradha Varanasi reflects on the reporting trip she took to a massive floating solar park in Central India. Reporter's Notebook

Anuradha Varanasi 2 min read

A woman stands on a white plastic float next to rows of solar panels hovering over smooth water. The lake stretches back far in the distance behind her.

A reporter tracks climate impacts and solutions in Chile

A journey through Chile is a journey into the energy transition. Reporter's Notebook

Bill Spindle 3 min read

A man in a white windbreaker and a hat and sunglasses, with a large telephoto lensed camera at his side, stands in front of a bright blue lake with a big grey mountain in the background.

National pride at a wilderness park and a research lab

Cat Clifford experienced some unexpected pride when she visited a wilderness area in the northern United States and a national lab in California last year. Reporter's Notebook

Cat Clifford 3 min read

An illustration of a notebook with the words

Analysis: A reporter hears echoes of the past in Japan’s net zero strategy

In the 1990s, Bill Spindle covered Japan's economic collapse. Returning again this year to report on Japan's energy transition, he picked up on some familiar narratives. Reporter's Notebook

Bill Spindle 3 min read

An illustration that shows Mt. Fuji in Japan twice, once in a photo that looks old and once in a photo that looks more recent, with solar panels in the foreground. There's also a large red circle behind the photos and the background is white, invoking the Japanese flag.

At COP29, dancing delegates, purring cats and long days

A flurry of parallel activities was the norm at the United Nation's climate summit, leaving a reporter both overwhelmed and with a bit of FOMO at times. Reporter's Notebook

Anca Gurzu 6 min read

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

In China, packed ballrooms, big ambition and parties for hydrogen

Hydrogen executives and researchers talked about conquering technological bottlenecks and slashing costs at a recent trade show. Reporter's Notebook

Xiaoying You 2 min read

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A reporter returns home to Romania to talk to coal miners

My plan was to write about miners taking courses to learn new skills for renewables jobs. But, as is so often the case, the reality turned out to be much more complex. Reporter's Notebook

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

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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

A reporter finds hope at a solar-powered school in Pennsylvania

Amena H. Saiyid shares the moving experience she had visiting the Steelton-Highspire School District while reporting on clean energy in Pennsylvania ahead of the 2024 election. Reporter's Notebook

Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

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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

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What one reporter learned about space-based solar power

Anca Gurzu shares what drew her to writing about space-based solar power: "progress is happening in an area once confined to science fiction storytelling. I was curious to learn how it would all work and what challenges these projects would face." Reporter's Notebook

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

An illustration of a notebook with the words