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Brad Plumer

@bradplumer.bsky.social
13K followers 1K following 55 posts

Reporter, NYT Climate. email: brad.plumer@nytimes.com signal: bradplumer.54

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Reposted by Brad Plumer
Mira Rojanasakul @rjnskl.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
NEW: A record 29% cars sold globally this year will be electric Meanwhile... China is exporting more E.V.s than the U.S. exports cars of any kind Latest w/ @bradplumer.bsky.social → www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
A stacked area chart of global car sales by drivetrain from 2000 to 2026, in which electric vehicles grow from near zero to over a quarter of the market. Hybrid vehicles make up about another tenth of sales by 2026. And gas and diesel vehicle sales, in absolute numbers, will reach their lowest levels since the early 2000s this year.A chart that shows Chinese passenger electric vehicle (including plug-in hybrid) exports shooting up from nearly zero in January 2018 to  over over 9 million by June 2026. Chinese E.V. export values jump particularly quickly after the Strait of Hormuz closure. A second line plots all U.S. passenger vehicle exports, which remain fairly steady between 3 and 6 million across the same time period.
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Maxine Joselow @maxinejoselow.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
The New York Times is hiring another climate policy reporter. Come work with me! job-boards.greenhouse.io/thenewyorkti...
job-boards.greenhouse.io
Climate Policy Correspondent
Washington, DC
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Dean Napolitano @dinonapolitano.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
@nytimes.com: Offshore wind is out. Geothermal power is in. And many climate technology start-ups are looking for ways to carry on without federal backing. “Clean energy isn’t dead in the Trump era. But it does look different these days,” writes @bradplumer.bsky.social
nytimes.com
How Clean Energy Firms Are Trying to Survive the Trump Era
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Reposted by Brad Plumer
Vikas Bajaj @vikasbajaj.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
The oil and gas industry wants to sell more LNG. The war in Iran -- and Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- might convince buyers that they would be better off with renewables, coal and nuclear power. by @rebeccafelliott.bsky.social and @bradplumer.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/03/29/b...
nytimes.com
Why the Iran War May Force Countries to Rely Less on Natural Gas
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Rebecca Elliott @rebeccafelliott.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
A giant wind farm in Wyoming died after facing permitting delays. In Indiana, a solar project stalled after the Trump administration blocked it from using a taxpayer-funded database. A federal permitting ‘blockade’ is hitting renewables projects hard. Story with @bradplumer.bsky.social:
nytimes.com
A Trump ‘Blockade’ Is Stalling Hundreds of Wind and Solar Projects Nationwide
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Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 04/02/2026
I expected the cuts would be bad but I'm honestly stunned and sickened seeing how many great journalists the Washington Post just lost. People who nailed huge investigations, documented war zones, exposed horrific crimes, dropped all at once for failures they did not cause.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
If you’re asking me, sure, put it on Google calendar….
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
full list of canceled awards here....
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
DOE cancels $3.7 billion in demonstration projects aimed at cutting emissions — a couple big carbon capture demos, but also cement, glass, iron, chemicals projects. Calpine and Exxon Mobil were hit, as were startups like Sublime and Brimstone. (Full list in story.) www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/c...
nytimes.com
Energy Dept. Cancels $3.7 Billion for New Technologies to Lower Emissions
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
Latest House GOP bill has faster phaseout of IRA clean electricity credits—need to start building wind/solar/battery/geothermal before 60 days after law passes and finish by end 2028, or no credit. Nuclear gets an exception—a new reactor can get the credit if it starts construction by end 2028.
amendments-rules.house.gov
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Reposted by Brad Plumer
Paul DV @paul-dv.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
DOE's super useful guides to commercializing key technologies are back! You can find the collection of "Pathways to Commercial Liftoff" reports here: yardsale.energy/liftoff-reports Plus check out my amazing graphic design skillz!
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Since the IRA passed, companies have made plans to invest over $843 billion in clean energy projects. But just one-third of that has actually been invested, new data shows. Much of the rest is now at risk. On the new House Republican plan to dismantle the IRA, with @harrystevens.bsky.social
nytimes.com
A Clean Energy Boom Was Just Starting. Now, a Republican Bill Aims to End It.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
excellent news, congrats!!
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
oh for sure, i'm just curious what drove the earlier decline
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
This chart makes it look like Tesla’s decline in Germany has been happening for awhile and not really related to any recent DC stuff, no?
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Reposted by Brad Plumer
Josh Chin @joshchin.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Not an exaggeration to say this was pound-for-pound the most effective piece of US public diplomacy in China. Twitter was blocked, but U.S. embassy pollution tweets forced Beijing to start publishing its own pollution data, which fed public outrage. Result: millions breathing vastly less toxic air
nytimes.com
U.S. Embassies Halt Air Quality Monitoring Abroad
Since 2008, embassies and other diplomatic posts had been publishing data about local air quality. In many countries, it was the only reliable source of such information.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
More than 300 workers at the National Nuclear Security Administration were told they were fired on Thursday. Now many of them are getting contacted and told to come back to their jobs: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/u...
nytimes.com
Layoffs Expand at Federal Agencies, Part of Trump Purge
Mass firings have rocked multiple agencies as President Trump and Elon Musk ramp up plans to drastically slash and reshape the federal work force.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
New York Times is hiring for two climate reporter jobs — descriptions/how to apply at the links: 1) Climate policy reporter: nytimes.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NYT/de... 2) Climate adaptation reporter: nytimes.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NYT/de...
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Jesse D. Jenkins @jessedjenkins.com · 02/02/2025
Update 2/2: Dept of Justice memo directs all agencies to comply with Friday's federal Court injunction prohibiting any arbitrary suspension of federal grants & assistance due to OMB memo or Trump's Executive Orders! Effective Monday 9am. Hat tip @benjaminwittes.bsky.social & @azevin.bsky.social
Text of a February 2nd Department of Justice memo directing all agencies to comply with Friday's federal Court injunction prohibiting any arbitrary suspension of federal grants & assistance due to OMB memo or Trump's Executive Orders. Effective Monday 9am. Applies to all programs.
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Reposted by Brad Plumer
Jesse D. Jenkins @jessedjenkins.com · 02/02/2025
“These are real human beings. We have one woman in her 80s who lives alone, and if she does not get her roof fixed, well, we’re going to have a senior in her late 80s who is homeless." More on the human cost of this illegal freeze of obligated grants www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/c... 🎁🔗
nytimes.com
Trump’s Halt on Climate Spending Freezes Jobs and Stalls Projects
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
That said I do think @liamdenning.bsky.social makes a bunch of great points here — there's a lot of risk for the nuclear industry in counting on AI-driven load growth to drive the development of small modular reactors. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
bloomberg.com
DeepSeek Is Coming for Sam Altman’s Other Company Too
Oklo’s prospects depend on AI’s insatiable need for electricity fueling demand for carbon-free electricity and expensive nuclear projects.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
I've seen stories about how DeepSeek is upending expectations of rising demand but is that what the market's saying? Maybe things evolve further, but right now most of these stocks are back to… early January levels. A correction, sure, but doesn't seem like the big picture has hugely changed. No?
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
that is a very good question
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
oh for sure, i've definitely had developers tell me they avoid federal lands because of NEPA (among other things).
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
Fair point, for scale, NREL says about 4% of utility-scale renewable energy capacity is currently on federal land (wind/solar/geothermal). www.nrel.gov/analysis/ren... Doesn't include proposed projects though. There is a lot of solar potential on federal lands, fwiw. bsky.app/profile/rose...
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
oh interesting i'll look/ask
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
that is what i'm hearing although certainly could be wrong — though i think the 2021 version of this memo was in effect a pause on fossil fuel authorizations no? www.doi.gov/sites/doi.go...
doi.gov
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
oh yeah, just meant the language is extremely similar except swapping "fossil fuels" with "renewables." obviously very different real world impact!
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
Possibly relevant... bsky.app/profile/atru...
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
New Interior memo orders a 60-day pause on new approvals for all renewable energy development on federal land—not just wind, this one also affects solar. www.doi.gov/document-lib... (Very similar to an early Biden DOI memo ordering a 60-day freeze on new fossil fuel authorizations on public lands.)
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
DOE and nuclear folks talk a lot about how a lot of lessons were learned from the Vogtle project in Georgia and that the next AP-1000s could be built more efficiently, with fewer problems and overruns. TBD whether anyone wants to test that out — and what kind of federal backing they'd need.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Could the big VC Summer nuclear project in South Carolina come back from the dead? Santee Cooper is looking to sell the unfinished plant to buyers who might be interested in building two AP-1000s: www.wsj.com/business/ene...
wsj.com
Exclusive | South Carolina to Reboot Giant Nuclear Project to Meet AI Demand
Santee Cooper is working with bankers to solicit interest in V.C. Summer.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Desalination for drinking water is surprisingly affordable. Desalination for agriculture probably doesn't make a ton of economic sense apart from some high-value crops. Really interesting post by @hannahritchie.bsky.social www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com/p/how-much-e...
sustainabilitybynumbers.com
How much energy does desalinisation use? Is it “absurdly cheap”?
A deep-dive on desalinisation.
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Reposted by Brad Plumer
Christian Roselund @roselund.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
FID status is one way to break it down. Another is by which projects actually have federal permits, which I track. Federal permitting status courtesy of permits.performance.gov. I have 5.8 GW of #offshorewind under construction (surprised some have no FID) + another 8.1 GW w/ all fed permits. /1
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
oh nice! that's super helpful (and fortunately lines up with the numbers in my story, excluding the two pilots).
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Good breakdown from Rystad of what's currently in the U.S. offshore wind pipeline. Projects that have gone through final investment decision (yellow) are probably ok, although that's not 100% certain. Projects in green still face risk. Projects in blue that don't yet have permits, high risk.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
A few early things jump out on Trump's crackdown on wind power: — may affect wind projects on private lands, since many still need federal permits. — several approved offshore projects face lawsuits, Trump could decline to defend  — possibly puts chill on investment even past the next four years.
nytimes.com
Wind Power in U.S. Faces Hit From Trump’s Executive Order
In a sweeping order, President Trump halted federal approvals for new wind farms, in a move that could affect projects on land and in the ocean.
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Dr. Crystal A. Kolden @pyrogeog.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Appreciate the opportunity to chat w/ @nytimes.com about how we can build smarter (and to code!!) after these wildfires. Suspending wildfire building codes only kicks the can down the road and invites another disaster. Hardened homes and defensible space for the win. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
How L.A.'s Housing Development Plays a Role in Wildfire Risk
Fierce winds and months of drought set the conditions for the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles, but the growth of housing in fire-prone areas also played a major role.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
that's a great way to think about it. and yeah, the high rates are so clearly counter to electrification goals at this point
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
Pretty big blow for efforts to make low-carbon steel in the U.S. (Also a strong possibility that $500 million won't be repurposed under Trump's DOE and will go unspent, though I guess we'll see...) www.canarymedia.com/articles/gre...
canarymedia.com
SSAB quietly pulls out of $500M green steel award negotiations
The Swedish company sought to make iron using green hydrogen in Mississippi, as part of the Biden administration's $6B Industrial Demonstrations Program.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
Nice brief history of prescribed burning (and why we don’t do more of it to reduce wildfire risk): jabberwocking.com/why-dont-we-... by @kdrum.bsky.social
jabberwocking.com
Why don’t we do more prescribed burning? An explainer. - Kevin Drum
Prescribed fires—or the lack of them—are on everybody's lip these days. Most people are just parroting talking points for political purposes, but perhaps you'd actually like to be a little smarter abo...
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
A bunch of great responses. This thread is a nice succinct explanation of why it's a tricky problem, especially in California.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
that's a fair point. although it does seem like California could very quickly get to a place where that system starts to get rethought. (or maybe it's too entrenched, i dunno.)
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
Right, I guess one question is if these rebates or other programs would be even more effective if they were funded by governments/general revenues instead. (One possibility might be that legislators would just approve them way less often, because it's politically harder to raise taxes.)
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
Oh that is great, though still raises the question of whether requiring utilities to fund all these programs is really the best approach. (Again I have no idea!)
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
Yeah that's fair, definitely easier for legislators — the utility gets the blame! Though also seems sort of perverse in a state like California where policymakers are hoping to electrify more things and high rates discourage that, no?
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
What are the arguments that utility wildfire prevention measures (which have broad societal benefits) should be funded by ratepayers and higher electricity rates instead of out of general budgets? It seems like an odd system with some downsides but maybe there are good reasons for it.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
“We’ve forecast peak coal at least three times,” said Rory Simington, a coal analyst with Wood Mackenzie, a natural-resources analytics company. “We keep getting surprised.” www.wsj.com/business/ene...
wsj.com
The Billionaire Mining Magnate Who Bet Coal Had a Future—And Won Big
The U.K. closed its last coal-powered plant, but 76-year-old Low Tuck Kwong ignored naysayers and built a fortune from the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel.
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
Really great thread. A key part: “But I also know that you can rebuild and manage the land so that next time the houses won't burn down. I've seen it work.”
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
Global climate change worsens disasters, but blaming climate change alone deflects responsibility from effective local governance, infrastructure, and warning systems to multinational corporations and international climate mitigation efforts. Time to re-read @frediotto.bsky.social.
knowablemagazine.org
Don’t let climate change take all the blame
OPINION: The climate crisis is a massive problem, but when politicians fault it entirely for every disaster, attention is deflected from local measures that might build resiliency. That needs to chang...
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