Sign in

Jeff St John

@jeffstjohn.bsky.social
5.4K followers 2.8K following 641 posts

Chief reporter at Canary Media, energy transition believer, holder of faith in truth, justice, and the inherent goodness of my fellow human beings. Parent of Lily the Corgi.

PostsRepliesMedia
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 1h
California must push down electric truck prices to meet its clean freight goals. Backers of a new law hope its pricing transparency rules can both curb overcharging by truck manufacturers and bring light to a now-murky EV truck financing scene: californiawire.substack.com/p/electric-t... #energysky
californiawire.substack.com
Electric trucks cost too much. California has a law for that.
The heavy-duty vehicles are more expensive in California than in Europe. SB 1213 could help drive down prices.
012
Reposted by Jeff St John
🌬Breeze @cool-summer-breeze.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is the Stolen Neighbors Quilt. Each of the 11,000 squares represents a person taken by ICE in Minnesota.
121121545142
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The Trump administration has awarded $1.9B to boost projects using transmission grid tech like dynamic line rating and advanced conductors—a big boost for a class of tech experts say could dramatically expand U.S. grid capacity if deployed at scale: www.canarymedia.com/articles/tra... #energysky
canarymedia.com
Advanced grid tech gets a $1.9B DOE boost
As the U.S. grid strains to meet rising demand, 31 projects across 26 states get federal funds for high-tech cables, sensors, and controls to boost…
052
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
After a federal judge ruled that EPA's killing of the $7B Solar for All program was illegal, nonprofits and companies are ready to restart projects to help low-income residents—if the Trump administration obeys a court order to give them the money: www.canarymedia.com/articles/pol... #energysky
canarymedia.com
A recent legal victory could free $7B in frozen Solar for All funds
Nonprofits and companies are ready to relaunch solar projects to help low-income residents — if the Trump administration obeys a court order to give them…
032
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
PG&E and Google's new Silicon Valley VPP sounds great. Who's against Google paying for solar-charged home batteries and battery-backed HVAC? But the plan ignores the elephant in the room—the grid impacts of Google's planned 250MW compute lab: californiawire.substack.com/p/pg-and-e-g... #energysky
californiawire.substack.com
PG&E, Google, and the missing data center
The utility and the tech giant have launched a new VPP, but they’re ignoring the elephant in the room.
032
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Don't worry about the fantasy killer robot superintelligences. The real threat is the idiot madmen deluded enough to believe they're capable of building them, and willing to destroy the world to get there: calnewport.com/superintelli...
calnewport.com
Superintelligence is a Fairy Tale. But Chasing It Can Still Cause Harm. - Cal Newport
Yesterday, multiple Anthropic employees casually announced online that they thought the types of AI they’re building could kill billions of people. Not in some distant ... Read more
011
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
New York City needs more batteries. But a yearlong fight between utility ConEd and battery developers has frozen community battery projects. ConEd says its grid is threatened. Developers say ConEd wants more profits. When will state regulators step in? www.canarymedia.com/articles/bat... #energysky
canarymedia.com
A fight between Con Ed and developers is slowing NYC’s battery…
The utility says too many battery projects will overwhelm its grid and drive up costs. Battery developers say the utility is trying to protect its profits.
043
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
PS - California WIre is also live at @canarymedia.com — check out my take on outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s poor record on enabling distributed energy to curb utility rates, and his last chance to sign bills that could put us back on track: www.canarymedia.com/articles/aff...
canarymedia.com
Newsom's last chance to tackle California's electricity costs
The governor has blocked efforts to harness distributed energy to rein in rising utility rates. Bills on his desk could reverse that trend — if he signs…
011
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
California Wire, Canary Media’s new weekly newsletter, is live! In this edition, I take on outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s poor record on enabling distributed energy to curb utility rates, and his last chance to sign bills that could put us back on track: californiawire.substack.com
californiawire.substack.com
California Wire | Substack
A weekly newsletter from Canary Media’s Jeff St. John that gets under the hood of California's clean energy transition. Published Wednesdays. Click to read California Wire, a Substack publication with...
000
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
What if our current AI "moment" is functionally equivalent to what would have happened if you had given Scientology a trillion dollars and said, "Go create the digital L. Ron god" and then, "try to find a way for people to pay for its services" ... ??? www.iheart.com/podcast/1119...
iheart.com
Stopping The AI Safety Cult ft. Adam Becker & Cal Newport - Better Offline | iHeart
<p>Ed Zitron is joined by computer science professor and writer Cal Newport and journalist and astrophysicist Adam Becker to get the word out that the narrative about existential risk from AI a narrat...
010
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
California Wire californiawire.substack.com?r=jae5i&utm_...
californiawire.substack.com
California Wire | Substack
A weekly newsletter from Canary Media’s Jeff St. John that gets under the hood of California's clean energy transition. Published Wednesdays. Click to read California Wire, a Substack publication with...
000
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
California Wire, Canary Media's new weekly newsletter dedicated to unraveling the complexities of the Golden State's energy transition, launches TOMORROW! I can't wait to share my California clean energy and climate policy obsessions. Sign up and join in! californiawire.substack.com #energysky
californiawire.substack.com
California Wire | Substack
A weekly newsletter from Canary Media’s Jeff St. John that gets under the hood of California's clean energy transition. Published Wednesdays. Click to read California Wire, a Substack publication with...
063
Reposted by Jeff St John
Cheryl Rofer @cherylrofer.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Good morning team. Republicans want to cook the planet.
nytimes.com
E.P.A. Will Erase Limits on Climate Pollution From Power Plants (Gift Article)
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
25626
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Gavin Newsom ends eight years as California’s governor with a complicated climate legacy. Critics laud his clean energy successes, but say he abandoned key promises—and undermined distributed energy's potential—under oil industry and utility pressure: www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle... #energysky
canarymedia.com
Gavin Newsom’s complicated legacy on climate and clean energy
Newsom’s 8-year term as California’s governor is drawing to an end. Here’s how he helped — and hindered — the state’s energy transition.
261
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Don't miss this energy-climate-politics explainer event! Covering Climate does such a great job conveying the core concepts of climate complexity — and my Canary Media colleague Julian Spector is both a savvy analyst and sartorial sensei... ;-) coveringclimatenow.org/event/rising...
coveringclimatenow.org
Rising Energy Bills, Climate, and the 2026 Midterms — Covering Climate Now
Americans are facing an energy affordability crisis, and relief can’t come soon enough. How current officials and winning candidates tackle energy affordability will determine whether states maintain ...
021
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
"I don’t think anything like this has ever happened in mainstream American politics. It is as if the Republican Party has simply given in to the fact that it is little more than a cult of personality centered on an aging celebrity real estate developer." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Trump Show Must Go On
The president has a very simple strategy for the midterms.
041
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
A federal court has ruled that DOE acted illegally to force a Michigan coal plant to stay open last year — a potentially major blow to the Trump administration's use of 'emergency' power to prop up aging, costly fossil fuel power plants: www.canarymedia.com/articles/fos... #energysky
canarymedia.com
Court rules that Trump can’t force a Michigan coal plant to keep…
A long-awaited court decision finds fault with the DOE’s use of "emergency" powers to force aging, costly, polluting power plants to run past their…
12011
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The Trump admin has issued a national emergency declaration that aims to ban a range of grid tech from China — including batteries. That's put gigawatts of U.S. battery projects on uncertain legal ground while they wait for DOE to explain the rules: www.canarymedia.com/articles/bat... #energysky
canarymedia.com
Trump emergency order casts uncertainty over grid battery growth
A sweeping yet vaguely worded national emergency declaration targeting Chinese grid tech could put gigawatts of grid battery projects on uncertain legal…
131
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Next Wednesday, Canary Media launches California Wire, our weekly newsletter bringing you the latest developments in the state’s sometimes bold, sometimes halting, progress toward a vibrant and equitable energy transition. Click to subscribe! californiawire.substack.com/p/welcome-to... #energysky
californiawire.substack.com
Welcome to California Wire!
Introducing Canary Media’s newsletter covering California’s clean energy transition.
053
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
"The reaction really warms our hearts.” Meet the teens solving hunger, one slice at a time. open.substack.com/pub/adamkinz...
open.substack.com
"The reaction really warms our hearts.” Meet the teens solving hunger, one slice at a time.
Aashrita Kaza and her brother Anish were volunteering at a local charity a couple of years ago when they noticed who was standing in line.
020
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Interregional HVDC lines could yield huge long-term benefits by linking grids across multiple time zones—if they can get financed and permitted. North Plains Connector has won DOE backing from both Biden and Trump admins to push through those barriers: www.canarymedia.com/articles/tra... #energysky
canarymedia.com
This novel power line could link 3 grids across 3 time zones
North Plains Connector has earned backing from the Energy Department and utilities, and could deliver huge cost and reliability benefits — if states give…
021
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
California lawmakers failed to overcome opposition from Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration to fund Demand Side Grid Support, the state's premiere virtual power plant program, leaving one of the country's biggest home battery grid resources in limbo: www.canarymedia.com/articles/vir... #energysky
canarymedia.com
California declines to fund its biggest virtual power plant
The Demand Side Grid Support program was given no money for next year, though supporters blocked an effort that could have disbanded the VPP altogether.
134
Reposted by Jeff St John
Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
California’s New Gas Pipeline Alternative: Just Paying You #energysky -- via Heatmap News heatmap.news/daily/c...
031
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
California lawmakers failed to overcome opposition from Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration to fund Demand Side Grid Support, the state's premiere virtual power plant program, leaving one of the country's biggest home battery grid resources in limbo: www.canarymedia.com/articles/vir... #energysky
canarymedia.com
California declines to fund its biggest virtual power plant
The Demand Side Grid Support program was given no money for next year, though supporters blocked an effort that could have disbanded the VPP altogether.
000
Reposted by Jeff St John
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 30/08/2026
Pathetic -- Google is now referring to Lake Ontario as "Lake America"
screencap of Google Maps showing "Lake America"
3438143342989
Reposted by Jeff St John
Patrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Google are really the biggest bunch of losers. Pathetic.
2631652
Reposted by Jeff St John
IEEFA North America @ieefa-northamerica.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
The cost for new gas-fired capacity is now roughly triple the cost of projects built in the early 2020s. Those costs will inevitably be passed on to consumers, either through local utilities' regulated rates or higher power prices in competitive markets. buff.ly/yXLRTaw
0129
Reposted by Jeff St John
MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 30/08/2026
Wow: the federal government is paying MAGA influencers on X and other social media to post pro-regime propaganda. Actual paid crisis actors. Incredible reporting here. wapo.st/4x0p3pf
Screenshot of two posts by Washington Post reporter Dan Lamothe on X. Lamothe reports that the Pentagon has secretly placed several conservative military veterans with large online followings into undisclosed government roles while they publicly amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s viewpoints. He says some have civilian positions that could influence policy and names Rob Maness, Kurt Schlichter, and Thomas Anderson, who posts online as “Cynical Publius.”
23555012727
Reposted by Jeff St John
Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Last chance this week for California lawmakers to rescue the most-saving, climate-benefiting virtual power plant program that Gavin Newsom keeps inexplicably trying to kill: www.canarymedia.com/articles/vir... via @jeffstjohn.bsky.social
canarymedia.com
California virtual power plant bills clear key legislative hurdle
Last year, Gov. Newsom vetoed bills promoting home batteries, smart thermostats, and EV chargers to curb energy costs. Will he do the same this year?
13011
Reposted by Jeff St John
Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
"Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a slate of bills meant to expand virtual power plants that could offset the state’s fast-rising electricity costs. Will he do the same this year?" An update by @jeffstjohn.bsky.social on Senate bills 905 and 913: www.canarymedia.com/articles/vir... 🔌💡
canarymedia.com
California virtual power plant bills clear key legislative hurdle
Last year, Gov. Newsom vetoed bills promoting home batteries, smart thermostats, and EV chargers to curb energy costs. Will he do the same this year?
152
Reposted by Jeff St John
CBS News @cbsnews.com · 28/08/2026
FIRST ON CBS NEWS: A history of hiring prostitutes or stealing from work may no longer be a barrier to employment at the FBI.
cbsn.ws
At the FBI, a history of hiring prostitutes or stealing from employer may no longer be a barrier to being hired
In June, the FBI quietly lowered some of the standards it uses when it conducts background checks on would-be federal agents and other personnel.
181526258
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Last year, California Gov. Newsom vetoed bills promoting home batteries, smart thermostats, and EV chargers as virtual power plants to curb energy costs. This year, two more pro-VPP bills — SB 913 and SB 905 — appear likely to pass. Will he sign them? www.canarymedia.com/articles/vir... #energysky
canarymedia.com
California virtual power plant bills clear key legislative hurdle
Last year, Gov. Newsom vetoed bills promoting home batteries, smart thermostats, and EV chargers to curb energy costs. Will he do the same this year?
051
Reposted by Jeff St John
Brian Willis @bwillisful.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
PJM has cleared 50+ GW of projects, with #solar, #wind and #batteries making up the vast majority, per @rockymtninst.bsky.social data. via @jeffstjohn.bsky.social in @canarymedia.com www.canarymedia.com/articles/ene...
canarymedia.com
PJM has finally greenlit a lot of new clean power. Can it get built?
More than 50 GW of solar, wind, and batteries can now connect to PJM’s grid. It could help drive down costs — if states, utilities, and hyperscalers make…
042
Reposted by Jeff St John
PM2.5 Kills ~9 Million People Each Year Worldwide @tkovach.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
91% of the 51 GW of generation that has gotten through PJM's interconnection queue is solar, wind, and storage
064
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Grid operator PJM gets well-deserved flak for blocking solar, wind, and batteries in its 13-state region. But now it's up to states, utilities and data centers to get the ~50GW of clean energy projects that have cleared PJM's queue over the finish line: www.canarymedia.com/articles/ene... #energysky
canarymedia.com
PJM has finally greenlit a lot of new clean power. Can it get built?
More than 50 GW of solar, wind, and batteries can now connect to PJM’s grid. It could help drive down costs — if states, utilities, and hyperscalers make…
054
Reposted by Jeff St John
Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
As mentioned in my comment on USPS's new ballot rule, the American postal service was born in 1774 _because_ the alternative system (the Crown's post) let the executive decide which mail not to deliver. For a Court riveted by bespoke historical analogs, this rule is 252 years of unAmerican.
electionlawblog.org
141165470
Reposted by Jeff St John
Patrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Including visas for spouses of U.S. citizens, which is unconscionable.
313236
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's new executive order asks data centers to secure their own power supplies or face grid cutoffs. That's just the kind of action that grid operator PJM wants the 13 states it serves to take to curb runaway capacity costs: www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat... #energysky
canarymedia.com
PJM wants data centers to bring their own power. Pennsylvania’s on it.
The biggest U.S. energy market hopes to make data centers find their own power resources or face grid cutoffs. Gov. Shapiro is aligning his state with…
2115
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Californians are fed up with rising electricity costs, and they don't want data centers to push them even higher. So says the state senator pushing two bills meant to keep data center costs off utility bills and spur builders to opt for clean energy: www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat... #energyhub
canarymedia.com
Major data center bills advance in California despite industry…
As the legislative session nears an end, lawmakers push ahead bills that aim to stop AI centers from raising utility costs and spur builders to opt for…
042
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Federal regulators have decided that curbing runaway costs in PJM, the biggest U.S. energy market, requires a fix to a utility data-sharing Catch-22 that's preventing companies like Voltus from enlisting gigawatts of homes as virtual power plants: www.canarymedia.com/articles/vir... #energysky
canarymedia.com
Federal ruling hands virtual power plants a win in PJM
Firms that enlist homes to reduce energy demand — and costs — have long complained that utility data rules prevent them from helping in PJM. FERC agrees.
034
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
SB 905, California's latest energy affordability bill, aims to curb returns on wildfire costs, expand debt and public financing for power grids, and explore performance metrics to curb sky-high electric rates. Can it overcome utility opposition? www.canarymedia.com/articles/uti... #energysky
canarymedia.com
3 ways to fix California's utility spending problem — if lawmakers act
SB 905 would curb returns on wildfire costs, seek new financing, and explore performance metrics to curb sky-high electric rates. Can it overcome utility…
132
Reposted by Jeff St John
Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 08/08/2026
"Chevron and Williams are big winners in the race to power artificial intelligence as they build out gas-fired power plants and pipelines" www.wired.com/story/chevro...
wired.com
Two Fossil Fuel Companies Are Betting Big on Data Centers
Chevron and Williams are big winners in the race to power artificial intelligence as they build out gas-fired power plants and pipelines.
36136
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
The Trump admin has terminated billions of dollars in DOE grid resilience and innovation grants in blue states and is "ghosting" billions more, disrupting valuable work at utilities in red and blue states alike. Here are a few of their stories: www.canarymedia.com/articles/pol... #energysky
canarymedia.com
Trump is blocking billions of dollars of grants that would fix the…
The Department of Energy has canceled or stalled funding for thousands of projects that would improve the country’s stressed grid — and not just in blue…
23523
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
PJM's new plan to curb rising costs from data centers being built in its 13-state territory? Basically, to force states and utilities to set up regimes for data centers to either secure their own power supplies, or get cut off during grid emergencies: www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat... #energysky
canarymedia.com
PJM’s big new data center plan: Make the states figure it out
Grid operator PJM wants states and utilities to hold data centers responsible for buying their own power — or risk being cut off from grid service.
032
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
A federal court says the Trump admin improperly terminated $20B in "green bank" funds — a big win for the nonprofit groups fighting to restore clean-energy and climate lending. But a likely Supreme Court appeal may delay them from getting their money: www.canarymedia.com/articles/cli... #energysky
canarymedia.com
Court rules against Trump EPA’s freeze of $20B in ‘green bank’ funds
A federal appeals court finds the EPA acted improperly in terminating grants to boost clean energy projects. The Trump administration may appeal to the…
110235
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
As a former reporter at the Tri-City Herald ("Voice of the Mid-Columbia!" ;-) I am very much looking forward to watching this documentary about Richland, Washington, home of the Richland Bombers high school mascot, originally a mushroom cloud... www.pbs.org/video/richla... #energysky ... ???
pbs.org
NWPB Presents | Richland
Learn about the atomic history of Richland, Washington in this new award-winning documentary.
001
Reposted by Jeff St John
Patrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Streisand Effect in full bloom.
37317
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The Federal Communications Commission has banned 'new' foreign-made inverters, citing White House claims of national security risks. It excludes existing inverters for solar and battery projects — but future models could face restrictions, experts say: www.canarymedia.com/articles/cor... #energysky
canarymedia.com
Trump admin bans ‘new’ foreign-made inverters. What does that mean?
A just-issued national security ban appears to exclude existing inverters for solar and battery projects — but future models could face restrictions,…
021
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The Trump administration appears set on providing the U.S. coal industry all it's asking for, from forcing aging power plants to stay open at great public cost to pushing taxpayer money at far-fetched plans to build new plants. Here's the state of play: www.canarymedia.com/articles/fos... #energysky
canarymedia.com
The coal industry gave Trump a wish list. He’s checking items off it.
The Trump admin is propping up the aging coal fleet despite the financial and environmental costs — and also making far-fetched plans to build new coal…
056
Jeff St John @jeffstjohn.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
California's new $270M incentive program is for first-time EV buyers only, because research shows once drivers try an EV, they stick with them. Can other states trying to backfill lost federal EV tax credits with tight budgets try the same approach? www.canarymedia.com/articles/ele... #energysky
canarymedia.com
California to offer a novel $3,500 rebate for first-time EV buyers
Research shows that once drivers try an EV, they stick with them. That's why these incentives target those who’ve never owned one to maximize the bang for…
0148