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Alicia Zhao

@aliciaszhao.bsky.social
81 followers 62 following 3 posts

Climate & energy policy modeler at the University of Maryland's Center for Global Sustainability @ctrglobsust.bsky.social Researching the roles that federal and subnational actors play in achieving U.S. climate targets

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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Center for Global Sustainability @ctrglobsust.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
On @ddpinitiative.bsky.social's new report, @aliciaszhao.bsky.social told ICN recent US federal climate policy rollbacks have created uncertainty around delivery of US commitments under the Paris Agreement, but subnational players can drive emissions reductions: insideclimatenews.org/news/0610202...
insideclimatenews.org
New Report Marks a Decade of Progress, Challenges on Global Decarbonization - Inside Climate News
Extreme shifts in federal climate policy will make it hard for the U.S. to reach the Paris Agreement targets, but action by states, cities and businesses could still deliver significant emissions cuts...
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Pete Buttigieg @petebuttigieg.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
If there was ever a time to call your Senator, this is it. Voting has begun on the GOP plan to cut off health care for working-class Americans and slash taxes for the wealthiest.
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Nate Hultman @natehultman.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
The role of subnational climate action and leadership is critical to meet #ParisAgreement goals. For the U.S., @CtrGlobSust research finds that non-federal actors can make major differences on #climatechange, even when faced with federal inaction. #SB62 go.umd.edu/subnationala...
americaisallin.com
Advancing U.S. Climate Action under Federal Policy Rollbacks
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Nate Hultman @natehultman.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Kicking off the #SB62 #JuneClimateMeetings in Bonn discussing the critical role of subnational #climateaction and engagement. In the U.S., states, cities, businesses, and others play major roles in achieving the #ParisAgreement climate targets: go.umd.edu/StateLevelCl...
go.umd.edu
Leading the Way To Greater 2035 Climate Ambition: A Snapshot of Current State-Level Initiatives | Center for Global Sustainability
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
David Roberts @volts.wtf · 12/06/2025
This is just f'ing awesome: tiny little solar power plants are sprouting on German balconies. A *million* of them now! This needs to be legalized in the US, ASAP. I want my own balkonkraftwerk.
yahoo.com
Germany's balcony power plants double in a year to 1 million
The number of "balcony power plants" in Germany has doubled over the past year to almost 1 million, according to the German Solar Association (BSW). "We are working on the assumption that the milliont...
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Alicia Zhao @aliciaszhao.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Check out our new report on the economic and health impacts associated with federal clean energy rollbacks across 50 states.
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Yale Climate Connections @climateconnections.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Despite lawsuits and funding freezes, hundreds of cities and states are refusing to slow down on climate action. Why? Because they’re already seeing the benefits – and the risks of doing nothing are too high.
yaleclimateconnections.org
Can states and cities lead on climate under Trump? » Yale Climate Connections
As the federal government attacks climate programs, subnational governments are pledging to step up.
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
David Roberts @volts.wtf · 12/05/2025
Hey, while you weren't looking, Virginia passed a law to enable virtual power plants in the state! V. cool.
solarpowerworldonline.com
Virginia law directs utility to launch virtual power plant pilot program
On May 2, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the Community Energy Act (HB 2346/SB 1100) into law. The new law directs Dominion Energy to launch a 450-MW
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Today, House Republicans are unveiling their plan to increase energy bills and pollution for everyday Americans, just to give billionaires another tax break. A summary of their proposals. THREAD! 🧵
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Center for Global Sustainability @ctrglobsust.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Deep decarbonization is needed in all sectors, but current efforts to mitigate freight transport emissions are insufficient. New research produced a novel approach to improve policy analyses and help transport policy planners boost national ambition and action. Learn more: doi.org/10.1080/1469...
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Robbie Orvis @robbieorvis.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
You might have missed this, but it’s important. The Senate Parliamentarian sides with GAO that Congress cannot undo California’s clean car rules using the Congressional Review Act. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
subscriber.politicopro.com
E&E News: Senate parliamentarian rules against GOP on California waivers
The parliamentarian said lawmakers can’t undo Biden-era waivers under the Congressional Review Act. Republicans will try anyway.
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 01/04/2025
This is not an exaggeration: illegally gutting this program will cause Americans to freeze to death in their homes.
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Alicia Zhao @aliciaszhao.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
The clean energy transition is a necessary step toward improving public health in the United States. Our new study in @cp-oneearth.bsky.social finds that an all-of-society approach to addressing climate change can improve air quality and health across every U.S. state: www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...
cell.com
Substantial air quality and health co-benefits from combined federal and subnational climate actions in the United States
Climate actions not only reduce carbon emissions but also lower the health damage from air pollution. This study finds substantial air quality and health co-benefits from combined federal and subnatio...
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
David Roberts @volts.wtf · 20/02/2025
Defend congestion pricing at all costs.
washingtonspectator.org
Defending Congestion Pricing | Washington Spectator
So much winning. Unjammed bridges and tunnels. Speedier deliveries. On-time buses. Calmer, more inviting streets. Fewer traffic crashes. Repairmen getting to more jobs. Not Donald Trump’s kind of…
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Allison Good @allisonwgood.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Hearing DOGE is cutting off access to EIA and NREL datasets 🔌💡
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
jae holzman @jael.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
putting this call out again: are you a climate or enviro scientist whose work has been paused due to the change in admin? is your job impacted by the IRA/BIL freeze? do you work in decarb and have concerns about your job stability? hit my line: jael@heatmap.news i’m on signal too, dm for info.
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 02/02/2025
Very much worth a watch if you have not yet seen the PM’s brief and moving speech to Americans and Canadians. “From the beaches of Normandy …to the streets of Kandahar, we have fought and died alongside you during your darkest hours. We're always there, standing with you."
youtu.be
Trudeau: Canada will retaliate with 25% tariffs on $155B of U.S. goods
YouTube video by CBC News
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Center for Global Sustainability @ctrglobsust.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
A recent multi-model study in @naturecomms.bsky.social assesses policies to close the gap to U.S. climate pledges. These can achieve: 💡 2-4 times ⬆️ in RE capacity additions 🏭 73-100% ⬇️ in electricity generation from fossil fuels 🚗 83-100% share of EVs in new vehicle sales nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
A multi-model study to inform the United States’ 2035 NDC - Nature Communications
Modeling shows that an expanded set of federal and state policies beyond current policies in the US could achieve economy-wide emissions reductions of 56-67% below 2005 levels by 2035.
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Kathleen Kennedy @kmkennedy6.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
🚨New paper alert! 🚨Excited to share this commentary on synergies between climate action and health, led by @weipengclimate.bsky.social. authors.elsevier.com/c/1kTSe9C~Iu...
authors.elsevier.com
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Sabin Center for Climate Change Law @sabincenter.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
🚨 🚀🌍 Today, the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law is launching three online tools – the Climate Backtracker, the Inflation Reduction Act Tracker & the Silencing Science Tracker – to keep tabs on the Trump administration’s climate rollbacks & anti-science actions: buff.ly/4jsf5HJ 🧵⤵️
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Robbie Orvis @robbieorvis.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
Check out our new jointly authored paper on @naturecomms.bsky.social evaluating pathways for the 2035 NDC. The political landscape has evolved since these scenarios were run but they show what is possible with a mix of strong federal, state, and local policy. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
A multi-model study to inform the United States’ 2035 NDC - Nature Communications
Modeling shows that an expanded set of federal and state policies beyond current policies in the US could achieve economy-wide emissions reductions of 56-67% below 2005 levels by 2035.
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Center for Global Sustainability @ctrglobsust.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
New research on the US #NDC in @naturecomms.bsky.social 📣 A new multi-model study, led by @ctrglobsust.bsky.social, shows expanded federal & state climate/energy policies, beyond current policies, could achieve 56-67% economy-wide emissions reductions by 2035: nature.com/articles/s41467-025-55858-2
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Center for Global Sustainability @ctrglobsust.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
New research on the EPA’s finalized power plant greenhouse gas standards📣 A new nine-model study in Science found that the EPA's power plant rules could reduce U.S. power sector carbon emissions by 73-86% by 2040, compared to 60-83% without the rules: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt5665
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Alicia Zhao @aliciaszhao.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
New research on EPA’s finalized power plant greenhouse gas standards📣
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
The US 🇺🇸 is the third country to have formally submitted its 2035 NDC (after UAE and Brazil). The emission reduction target range of -61-66% in 2035 is relatively large, but at the higher end fairly ambitious. Here a few graphs to put the target into context. 1/4
Historic GHG emissions 1990 – 2023 in the US, including its main components, from PRIMAP-hist and EMBER, as well as stated targets for 2030 (range) and 2050 as well as potential targets for 2035 and 2040, based on interpolation from 2030-2050, and extrapolation of 2023-2030 linear trend. The proposed 2035 range of 61-66% reduction from 2005 levels are roughly in line with linear reduction from 2030 NDC to net-zero, and below a 2023-2050 straight line.
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Reposted by Alicia Zhao
Center for Global Sustainability @ctrglobsust.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
How can the United States deliver on its new 2035 #NDC without strong federal climate leadership? CGS’s new analysis finds that strong non-federal climate action can deliver 54-62% GHG emissions reductions by 2035 across a range of federal climate ambitions: go.umd.edu/StrongNonFederal2035Action
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