Kevin J. Kircher @kevinjkircher.com · 26mOne thing to bear in mind about a federal permitting bill is that its mistakes would be essentially permanent - Dems could only reverse mistakes with a filibuster-proof 60-vote supermajority in the Senate. Repubs, on the other hand, could use captured courts to shave off bits their donors dislike. 1134
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherCosta Samaras @costasamaras.com · 2hA big day for @cmu.edu, for Miami, & for Pittsburgh! One of the grand challenges the CMU-Miami campus will work on, together with regional institutions, is energy & climate resilience. Having energy & climate as a focus for all universities to work on, is essential. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/u...nytimes.comDonor Gives $3 Billion to Carnegie Mellon, the Largest University Gift Ever (Gift Article)The donation by Kenneth Griffin, intended mostly to help build a campus in Miami, was the biggest single gift in the history of U.S. higher education. 6192
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherMeade Krosby @meadekrosby.bsky.social · 2hI’ve been reminiscing with friends about Take Back the Night rallies we did at Cornell in the late 90s, and how now it’s our high school daughters planning rallies and signing petitions and it’s just incredibly demoralizing how little has changed. 1365
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherDr. Genevieve Guenther (she/they) @doctorvive.bsky.social · 1hNone of the cheerleaders of the Permitting Reform bill are talking about the fact that it establishes a 150-day statute of limitations for lawsuits under *any* federal law challenging authorizations for coal, oil, and gas extraction. Forever. 150 days is no time at all. 2258
Kevin J. Kircher @kevinjkircher.com · 1hAs far as I can tell, the total funding in the Senate permitting bill is $255M/yr (0.0036% of 2025 $7T federal spending), not counting $200M/yr for historic preservation. $255M is enough to pay 2,550 people $100k. You'd think a bill meant to expedite permitting would hire/pay people to do the work. 041
Kevin J. Kircher @kevinjkircher.com · 2hNot a lawyer, but "SEC. 209. ENEPA TECHNOLOGIES" (pages 74-94) appears to require creation of AI tools for a) company use to generate environmental docs and b) agency use to review environmental docs. AI-generated forms reviewed by AI tools in understaffed/underfunded agencies! What could go wrong. 1258
Kevin J. Kircher @kevinjkircher.com · 2hThe Senate's permitting bill text is up. It's way too big/complex for anyone who didn't have early access to digest today, so beware hot takes, but this bit (p. 54 line 9) is funny: If an agency misses a deadline, the agency head can't travel >25 miles from their desk til the agency submits the doc.energy.senate.gov 3339
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircherisaac @sevier.io · 5h🥳🥳🥳 Shoutout @cmmonwealth.bsky.social for their immense work to make this happen. In the US we lack organizations of their size + political parties capable of using their capacity but we are on the same path. 1133
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherEmily Sanders @emdashsanders.bsky.social · 5hNext week, SCOTUS will hear args in Boulder's climate lawsuit that says oil giants deceived the public about the dangers of burning fossil fuels & should pay for local damages. A few things to know, ft my convo with @ishan-thakore.bsky.social @lesleyclark.bsky.social @alejandrocamacho.bsky.socialpointsourcenews.orgThree things to know about the upcoming Supreme Court climate caseThe broader implications if Exxon and Suncor get their SCOTUS reprieve from state climate lawsuits. Also, what to make of a justice’s 11th-hour recusal. 1106
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircherryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 4hoh man you know a small paper did good when the NYT reports on their reporting rather than ripping them off without credit www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/n...nytimes.comStudents at Cornell Daily Sun Pursued Sexual Assault Case for Two Years (Gift Article)The student newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, covered the allegations of rape at a fraternity party since they were first made in 2024 and led the reporting on the case. 101039220
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircherisaac @sevier.io · 4hIn Lyon, France, activists for public ownership of the water system won their decades long struggle, along with enormously reduced water rates, better pay, and stronger unions. When the right took over, public ownership had such broad support from the community & workers that it has stayed public. 2316
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJosh Lappen @jlappen1.bsky.social · 4hHonored to have won this year's John Reps Prize from the Society of American City and Regional Planning Historians for my work on how electrification shaped greater Los Angeles! I'm likewise honored to be in such excellent company! Take a look at the full set of winners: sacrph.org/awards/past2...sacrph.org2026 Awards 8311
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherErik Nordman @eriknordman.bsky.social · 7hMichigan's utility regulator has proposed steps to contain rising costs & break the "seemingly endless litigation over rates." The article below features insightful commentary from two longtime @ipu-msu.bsky.social guest instructors, Mark Newton Lowry and Paul Alvarez. #EnergySky 🔌💡utilitydive.comAffordability concerns drive momentum for performance-based ratemakingMichigan is among the states weighing reforms to rate case planning and utility profits. Experts and stakeholders told Utility Dive what works — and what doesn’t. 043
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherDavid Roberts @volts.wtf · 5hToday on Volts: Heat-pump water heaters use a fraction of the energy of the conventional kind, but they've often been bulky, loud, & a hassle to install. A company called Reservoir has made one that's smaller, quieter, & much smarter, installed in hours by their own plumbers. I talk with the CEO.volts.wtfWhat’s up with heat-pump water heaters?A conversation with Luke Winston-Almanzar of Reservoir. 710419
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherKashmir Hill @kashhill.bsky.social · 8hMeta is using a radical interpretation of a tax credit for “research and experimentation” to get billions of dollars off GPUs for its A.I. data centers. My latest with Jesse Drucker, @elitan.bsky.social and @mikeisaac.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/t...nytimes.comHow Meta Uses A.I. Data Centers to Avoid Billions in Federal Taxes (Gift Article)Meta is exploiting a lucrative tax break intended to support research and experimentation. Its own accountants say the gambit is risky. 1018295
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherBrendan Pierpont @brendan.bsky.social · 5h⚡⚡ Want to help policymakers understand the best ways to meet growing electricity demand, clean up the grid, and lower electricity bills for customers? Do you have deep grid expertise and experience managing research and analysis projects? Join our team! energyinnovation.org/about/career...energyinnovation.orgCareersWe are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. 111
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJustin Mikulka @justinmikulka.bsky.social · 7hThe Cornell Daily Sun: "This is not a dark chapter in Cornell’s history, it’s a morbid pattern, only rectified with thorough criminal investigations in the hands of parties independent of the University — the Ithaca Police Department and the Tompkins County district attorney."cornellsun.comEDITORIAL | Cornell Won’t, We WillThe Editorial Board demands that Cornell stops protecting the alleged Chi Phi rapists through the University's opaque sexual assault policies. 0143
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJohn Kostyack @kostyack.bsky.social · 8h@pkrugman.bsky.social on the political transformation underway due to AI and data centers. "Even the usual argument for pro-oligarch policies — job creation! — falls flat because hardly any jobs are being created even in the short run." Cites BLS stats on the job category including data centers. 43210
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircherryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 7h"Only 28 percent of Americans believe that AI technology should move full speed ahead. Everyone else wants it slowed down or stopped, temporarily or permanently." paulkrugman.substack.com/p/one-more-r...paulkrugman.substack.comOne More Reason Americans Hate AI: It Does Nothing for ThemTrillions of dollars in spending, higher interest rates, hardly any jobs 59123
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircherc0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 9hOmigod, this is the most heartwarming story possible! Backpack (bear 89) is the son of the 2019 winner of Fat Bear Week, Holly (bear 435). In 2007, he injured his foot & a practice of riding on momma's Holly's back had a new meaning: he was mobility-restricted while it healed. So Holly moved him. 2639341332
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherProf Julia Steinberger 🌹🌱🌍 #ClimateAction #Fightfascism @jksteinberger.bsky.social · 9hRare and small victory celebration time: evil genocidal tech giant Palantir is officially excluded from the EPFL Forum (recruiting event), thanks to mass mobilisation. The Forum organisers stand by their invitation, however. 🤦♀️🤯 Thanks to everyone who protested! More context: clads.ch/en/condemnat... 05210
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJoshua Basseches @joshuabasseches.bsky.social · 21hThis piece by @aripeskoe.bsky.social should embolden FERC to assert its authority over PJM governance: www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-op...utilitydive.comFERC has options for modernizing PJM’s governanceThe commission’s jurisdiction over transmission governance allows it to modify filing-rights allocations and adjust the PJM Interconnection’s nominating committee, writes Harvard Law’s Ari Peskoe. 051
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherNick Cunningham @nickcunningham.bsky.social · 21hIn China, heavy duty electric trucks on track to be 1/3 of sales by the end of the year www.bloomberg.com/news/feature... 194
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJoseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 19hNew research from my lab explores the use of multivariate statistics & ML to predict soil carbon, nitrogen and organic matter using VNIR spectroscopy in lab, field & remote sensing data sets. The method accounts for almost half the variance in each data set 🧪 ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/116...ieeexplore.ieee.org 1142
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherCosta Samaras @costasamaras.com · 18hCongratulations to Dr. @hollyjeanbuck.bsky.social on being named a MacArthur Fellow! www.macfound.org/fellows/clas...macfound.orgHolly Jean BuckInvestigating the social, ethical, and political dimensions of climate and energy policies and emerging technologies. 1489
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherKat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 19hA truly heinous man has doxxed the Cornell victim on X and the comments are predictably vile. Based on countless interviews I’ve done with survivors, the trauma they are subjected to for coming forward is oftentimes even worse than the initial trauma they experienced. There is no real justice system 11967091272
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherRebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 18hTime for this classic again. 125130674425
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircherisaac @sevier.io · 18hOne of the best things you can do for yourself if you put climate at the top of your priorities in politics today is to recognize this very effective pull to the right that is in motion from people you once thought were progressives. 2345
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircherisaac @sevier.io · 18hLots of folks have plenty to say about "The Left" and what it (lol) should stop doing at a time when fascists are disappearing people in record numbers and there is no actual force stopping them or the fossil fuel industry that they are in league with. 115724
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherKetan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 15hIf anyone I know lives in Austin, please sneak into this "powering data centres with fossil fuels" forum and get some choice quotes for me please www.bicmagazine.com/resources/sp... 03412
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJonathan Koomey @jgkoomey.bsky.social · 20hRelated: Jonathan Koomey. 2013. Moving Beyond Benefit-Cost Analysis of Climate Change. Environmental Research Letters 8: doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/8/4/041005. iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/...iopscience.iop.orgMoving beyond benefit–cost analysis of climate changeMoving beyond benefit–cost analysis of climate change, Koomey, Jonathan 043
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherThe Onion @theonion.com · 29/09/2026Cornell Vows That Rapists Will Be Forced To Write Much Longer Essays In The Future theonion.com/cornell-vows... 173107692028
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherDanny Cullenward @ghgpolicy.org · 29/09/2026I think this has a lot of explanatory power, at least with respect to WRI. (WBCSD isn't hiding its industry-aligned advocacy.) But there's more to it. Some people genuinely believe that theoretical accounting principles require outcomes that make no physical, scientific, or policy sense. 166
Kevin J. Kircher @kevinjkircher.com · 29/09/2026"“objective” methods of institutionalized cost-benefit analysis are riddled with value-laden assumptions, and objectivity rests on absurd ideas of commensurability and the ability to price all preferences." This essay makes a lot of good points that are relevant to energy system modeling. 14312
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherHannah Daly @hannahdaly.ie · 29/09/2026Genuinely great to see solar, heat pump and retrofit grants targeting vulnerable homes. It's also good to see the boiler scrappage scheme come immediately rather than in January. I'm sure a lot of people retrofitting right now, and the companies, are relieved they will qualify. 0328
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherInside Climate News @insideclimatenews.org · 29/09/2026Justice Samuel Alito, who holds investments in individual fossil fuel companies, just recused himself from a key climate case before the Supreme Court. But he participated in the decision-making process to hear the case in the first place.insideclimatenews.orgAlito’s Recusal From Climate Case: Too Little, Too Late? - Inside Climate NewsJustice Samuel Alito decided Monday to sit out one of the most consequential climate change cases to reach the Supreme Court, but legal experts expected continuing ramifications due to his ownership o... 03115
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherInside Climate News @insideclimatenews.org · 29/09/2026The Trump administration finalized the rollback of a major fuel economy standard for cars and trucks, a move critics say will cause more climate-warming pollution, human health problems and higher fuel costs for consumers.insideclimatenews.orgTrump Slashes Fuel-Economy Standards in Blow to Climate, Health, EV Market - Inside Climate NewsOne observer called the move a "disaster for people’s health, the planet, and even U.S. automakers.” 3118
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherKatharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 29/09/2026Don’t ask an elected official if they “believe” in climate change, it’s not a religion. Don’t ask if they think it’s serious: it is. Ask them what matters most: what are they doing about it? Excellent application here, 10/10 no notes 👏⬇️👏 419661
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherNick Cunningham @nickcunningham.bsky.social · 29/09/2026ah so much for the "cleanest" LNG in the world. FWIW I looked at these claims 5 years ago, yet Canadian and BC officials routinely touted hydro-powered LNG facilities as a reason not to worry about climate impacts Shell will instead use gas turbines www.desmog.com/2021/08/13/l...desmog.comLNG Projects Make Claims of 'Net-Zero' to Ease Way for ExpansionUnder growing pressure to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, developers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are turning to questionable claims about “carbon neutrality,” “net-zero,” or “green LNG,” in order... 3145
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJosh Lappen @jlappen1.bsky.social · 29/09/2026This one's a cri de coeur from @gruberte.bsky.social, @jmijin.bsky.social, and I: The coal sector's decline has created strong empirical evidence about how energy transitions play out, but most decarb scholarship and policymaking ignore it. That has to change. www.tandfonline.com/eprint/DJ88Z...tandfonline.comHow to Save the Energy Transition: What Coal Scholars Can See Coming, and What to Do About ItThe energy transition requires rapid, coordinated retirement of essentially all fossil fuel infrastructure with careful attention to impacts on workers and affected communities. Experience with the... 25024
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJ. Mijin Cha @jmijin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026We have been through transitions before- we should learn from them! psyched to be on this with @jlappen1.bsky.social and @gruberte.bsky.socialtandfonline.comHow to Save the Energy Transition: What Coal Scholars Can See Coming, and What to Do About ItThe energy transition requires rapid, coordinated retirement of essentially all fossil fuel infrastructure with careful attention to impacts on workers and affected communities. Experience with the... 34218
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJ. Mijin Cha @jmijin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026By my count, the during the tenure of the current Cornell president, students were expelled for protesting a genocide, an extremely violent sexual assault was dealt with by apology essays, and he ran over a student's foot. Neat. Never, ever send me a alumni fundraising email. Never. 0437
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherEmily Grubert @gruberte.bsky.social · 29/09/2026This is the paper that embodies the thing I do where I walk around with a felt bag of coal labeled "Coal" that is full of coal and say ~beware~ big thanks to @jlappen1.bsky.social for leading and to @jmijin.bsky.social for continuing to be one of the most correct people about coal transitions 1162
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherNick Cunningham @nickcunningham.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Really interesting. Texas and California have added a lot of battery storage. PJM (midatlantic) hasnt. PJM has more threats of blackouts and much higher prices www.bloomberg.com/news/article... 032
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJohn Kostyack @kostyack.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Elections are a month away and the question of whether we want armed militias and white nationalists running our country is on the ballot.wired.comThese Extremists Are Running for Election in NovemberWith the threat of political violence at unprecedented levels, state and federal GOP candidates are openly sharing racist, pro-militia, anti-vaccine, sexist, antisemitic, and secessionist views. 021
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJohn Hanger @jrfhanger.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Filling a standard 275-gallon oil tank in Maine costs ~$740 more than last year, after the statewide average hit a record $6.02 per gallon. ~50% of Maine households used heating oil in 2024, down from 62% in 2018. Maine is a leader in heat pumps. www.bangordailynews.com/2026/09/28/b... #energyskybangordailynews.comMaine posts record-breaking heating oil prices amid Iran WarHeating oil reached a record high of $6.02 a gallon in Maine due to global conflicts and refining shortages, state officials said. 2236
Reposted by Kevin J. Kirchermolly taft @mollytaft.com · 28/09/2026i did a little Climate Week postmortem on data centers: co2 emissions are far & away the most alarming part of the buildout. but there hasn't been much of a reckoning beyond climate spaces kind of wondering when it'll enter the larger convo, if at all, and what that may look likewired.comThe Data Center Backlash Should Also Be a Climate Reckoning. It Isn’t YetClimate groups are latching onto the data center opposition movement, but it remains to be seen if they can get people to care about the facilities’ impact on the atmosphere. 514659
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherDr. Genevieve Guenther (she/they) @doctorvive.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Over 120,000 people marched across France calling for action to halt global heating. www.lemonde.fr/en/environme...lemonde.frThousands march for climate across France: 'I wish there were more of us, after the summer we've just had'From Bordeaux to Paris, organizers say 120,000 people took part in 260 demonstrations 'for the climate, for life, for peace, for social justice. 373230979
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherKetan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 28/09/2026If a "climate tech" company is pivoting to servicing the needs of a generative AI industry that specifically hungers for fossil fuels, how on Earth is that still "climate tech"? That is petrotech - and we should call it that, when it is that. techcrunch.com/2026/09/28/t... 314741
Reposted by Kevin J. KircherJ. Mijin Cha @jmijin.bsky.social · 28/09/2026I really appreciate the Guardian's continued focus on what's happening in Gazatheguardian.comWe followed five people in Gaza from dawn to dusk – this is what the headlines don’t tell usBehind the stories of bombings and mass deaths, the everyday challenges facing Palestinians living under siege portray a quieter tragedy we rarely hear 05516