Sign in

Dr. Melissa Lott

@mclott.bsky.social
4.3K followers 177 following 78 posts

Engineer exploring tech/econ/health impacts of the #energytransition to #netzero | Energy & Climate Communicator

PostsRepliesMedia
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 11/10/2024
Thanks to everyone who reached out to ask about my next professional chapter in response to today’s article Update: I’m heading west and will be publicly sharing details on my new role just before Halloween 🎃 🤐 www.ft.com/content/b2a3...
0191
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 07/10/2024
🚨 Professional News 🚨 Friday marked my last day at Columbia University. The past 5 years have been transformational for me, full of impact & major milestones. Reflections on the past 5 years + a preview of my next professional chapter 👇 www.linkedin.com/posts/meliss...
linkedin.com
Melissa C. Lott, PhD on LinkedIn: ❗❗ 📰 Transitions and Exciting Professional News 📰 ❗❗ The past 5 years… | 51 comments
❗❗ 📰 Transitions and Exciting Professional News 📰 ❗❗ The past 5 years Columbia University have been transformational for me, full of impact and major… | 51 comments on LinkedIn
0161
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
Jesse D. Jenkins @jessedjenkins.com · 25/09/2024
Sales of heat pump water heaters surged in 2023 in the USA (hello Inflation Reduction Act??), and gas heaters continue to lose market share cleantechnica.com/2024/09/24/s... 🔌💡
cleantechnica.com
Soaring Sales for Heat Pump Water Heaters in 2023. Let the Party Begin! - CleanTechnica
Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News! Heat pump water heater sales saw their largest increase ever in 2023, according to the latest data released by ...
411319
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 25/09/2024
🚨 New SHIFT KEY episode just dropped 🚨 This week, @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessejenkins.bsky.social bring you a user’s guide to new green banks, with help from the EPA's Jahi Wise and Elemental Impact's Dawn Lippert. Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts.
heatmap.news
The Hardest Working $27 Billion in the IRA
Inside season 2, episode 7 of Shift Key.
292
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 10/09/2024
"The U.S. solar manufacturing boom could be big enough to allow the country to soon become a net exporter of solar panels for the first time in decades." www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol... via Eric Wesoff
canarymedia.com
US solar manufacturing capacity has quadrupled thanks to climate law
The Inflation Reduction Act has sparked a boom in domestic solar panel manufacturing, though the U.S. still depends on China for certain steps of the supply chain.
083
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 30/08/2024
Just discovered these extended clips from Chasing Carbon Zero on PBS NOVA. Fun memories recording this with Miles O’Brien and the whole NOVA team + our team at Columbia including Natalie Volk and Jen Wu. #netzero #energytransition youtu.be/x-oFuAgnzkk?...
youtu.be
"Chasing Carbon Zero" Extended Interview with Melissa Lott - NOVA | PBS
YouTube video by NOVA PBS Official
042
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 26/08/2024
US EIA: Combined US sales of hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and battery electric vehicles increased from 17.8% of total new light-duty vehicle sales in 1Q 2024 to 18.7% in 2Q 2024, according to estimates from Wards Intelligence: www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
012
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
Brendan Pierpont @brendan.bsky.social · 23/08/2024
Good deep dive into the state of local permitting barriers and what states can do to address them 🔌💡: www.utilitydive.com/news/states-...
utilitydive.com
Carrots, sticks or both: State efforts to combat anti-renewables NIMBYs
In pursuit of zero-emissions electricity goals and tax windfalls from utility-scale renewables, states are taking a range of approaches to disarm opponents.
074
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
Chris Bataille @chrisbataille.bsky.social · 16/07/2024
Some nice copy here …apparently California now has batteries roughly equivalent to 5 Diablo Canyons (in capacity, not run time…)
223585
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 17/07/2024
“The increasing number of days with above-average temperatures means that the lack of air-conditioning can be a matter of life and death,” said Sheila Foster, a professor at the Columbia Climate School. www.nytimes.com/2024/07/17/n...
nytimes.com
New York City Tenants Are Entitled to Heat. What About Air-Conditioning?
Landlords have to keep tenants warm in the winter, but can leave them sweating in the summer. A city councilman wants to change that.
1246
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 17/07/2024
California ISO on managing this month's heat wave: "California’s power grid held up against prolonged record temperatures because of new clean energy resources, more battery storage, and enhanced coordination with state government." www.caiso.com/about/news/m... h/t Wes Venteicher
caiso.com
Managing the July 2024 heat wave with our partners in California and the West | California ISO
Extreme weather like the extended heat wave California and much of the West have experienced this July can pose a reliability challenge for even the most resilient electric grid. Such prolonged heat e...
266
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 17/07/2024
“Human bodies tend to use sleep time to lower temperatures and recover from a brutally hot day; if temperatures don’t drop enough, people sleeping without air conditioning — or, say, people in major cities that didn’t get their power back for a week after a storm — don’t get that chance”
111449
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 17/07/2024
The drivers of climbing electricity rates are… 1. spikes in gas prices 2. rising costs to maintain and rebuild grid infrastructure 3. a utility business model that incentivizes big capital investments that customers have to pay off over decades www.canarymedia.com/articles/uti...
canarymedia.com
Don’t blame clean energy for rising electric bills
A new report links rising U.S. power bills to fossil gas price spikes and utility incentives — not solar, wind, and batteries, as clean energy foes suggest.
082
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 11/07/2024
It can be cheaper for a utility to pay to electrify homes rather than updating gas pipelines that serve those homes. Enjoyed speaking with James Ford at WPIX-New York about why electrification can make a lot of economic sense for utilities like ConEdison pix11.com/news/local-n...
pix11.com
All-new appliances for free? How a new Con Ed program provides them
WAKEFIELD, The Bronx (PIX11) — A new program promising brand-new, super-efficient appliances, lower monthly bills, and a smaller carbon footprint has left some utility customers skeptical. Ho…
020
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 03/07/2024
“The damage to human health, agriculture and the global economy is just beginning to be understood.” www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/c...
nytimes.com
Well Beyond the U.S., Heat and Climate Extremes Are Hitting Billions
People all over the world are facing severe heat, floods and fire, aggravated by the use of fossil fuels. The year isn’t halfway done.
14418
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 03/07/2024
Great (and very interesting) thread by @katharinehayhoe.com 👇
030
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 03/07/2024
Spoiler: we will talking about what “net zero” and “decarbonization” mean…plus what it will take to solve climate change.
000
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 03/07/2024
4 hours and counting… ⏰📺 Excited to go live with Dr. Nee on PBS NOVA today - will be streaming on Twitch and YouTube if you want to join the conversation live! www.youtube.com/live/hFmAOrA...
youtube.com
Building Stuff with NOVA Livestream with Dr. Melissa Lott
Subscribe to our Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/novabuildingstuff/Tune in to our stream today as our host Dr. Nehemiah Mabry is joined by energy syste...
131
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 19/06/2024
Ecuador was plunged into a nationwide blackout on Wednesday afternoon, the country’s public work minister said, blaming the emergency on a failure of a key transmission line. www.nytimes.com/2024/06/19/w...
A card reads: "Ecuador Hit by Nationwide Blackout. The South American country of 18 million people has struggled with an energy crisis for years — though none of the blackouts have been as widespread as this one."
62515
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 14/06/2024
Driving in Tennessee this week — and each of our last 3 Tesla charging stations have increased in size by 2-3x since our August ‘23 trip Can’t help but wonder how much this region’s history (read: TVA) is influencing the build out @joshdr83.bsky.social #energytransition #electrification
051
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 11/06/2024
Really enjoyed diving into these two books with @edcrooks.bsky.social and @josephmajkut.bsky.social on The Energy Gang last week! Happy listening, y'all!
111
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 11/06/2024
For those who are also interested in reading Alon's latest --- Island Press just let me know that folks can use code TECH for 20% off islandpress.org/books/making...
islandpress.org
Making Climate Tech Work
000
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 10/06/2024
What an awesome start to the week! Just had coffee with Alon Tal. Thanks 🙏 for the great conversation and the copy of your latest book with @IslandPress, Alon! Can’t wait to dive into it 📖 😀 #climatetech #energytransition
010
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
Jesse D. Jenkins @jessedjenkins.com · 22/05/2024
How do we make rooftop solar cheap in America? Here, it costs ~$4/watt to install a rooftop PV system, 4X as much as a similar system in Australia today! On today's Shift Key, we talk to Mary Powell, CEO of Sunrun, about how to unlock rooftop solar's full potential. heatmap.news/podcast/shif...
heatmap.news
How to Unlock Super Cheap Rooftop Solar
Inside episode 17 of Shift Key.
0217
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 22/05/2024
This looks really cool --- and, as the posting says "This is not an academic exercise—we’re looking for proposals with a near term path to implementation such that they could translate into real demand for carbon removal suppliers within the next 3-5 years." #netzero #speedandscale
020
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 22/05/2024
But, the number does show me that the work that we do can (and does) directly help leaders make informed decisions.... ...And I am cheering each one of y'all on as you work to have huge, positive impact in the world. #sciencecommunication #sciencediplomacy #sciencepolicy end 🧵
010
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 22/05/2024
To my fellow researchers - this number is NOT the only way to measure "impact" or "success". But, it's certainly one potential metric. And one thing to think through when we design our next research project or write our next research paper. #measuringsuccess #researchimpact
100
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 22/05/2024
And for me, that is a tremendous piece of evidence of the direct "impact" that the work has had in the world. Impact on the policies that will shape our lives. Former Columbia University President Bollinger called this "fourth purpose" impact. fourthpurpose.columbia.edu/content/what....
fourthpurpose.columbia.edu
What is the Fourth Purpose? | The Fourth Purpose of Columbia University
100
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 22/05/2024
Nearly 800 times, a piece of policy was directly informed by analysis rooted in the evidence. In the data. In the analysis. And in the insights gained through collaborations with folks across disciplines and borders. #sciencecommunication #sciencediplomacy #informeddecisionmaking
100
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 22/05/2024
But with that caveat aside --- here's how I am currently thinking about the number I just discovered...
100
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 22/05/2024
Short summary of those discussions = It's complex. It's challenging to define. There is no "one size fits all".
media.tenor.com
Theres No One Size Fits All Answer Bustle GIF
ALT: Theres No One Size Fits All Answer Bustle GIF
100
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 22/05/2024
Academics and researchers often talk about the purpose of evidence-based analysis and research. And how we can/should measure and articulate things like "success" and "impact".
media.tenor.com
Brooklyn99 Brooklyn Nine Nine GIF
ALT: Brooklyn99 Brooklyn Nine Nine GIF
110
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 22/05/2024
Today --- while doing some paperwork --- I discovered that papers that I have (co-)authored have been cited in policy documents nearly 800 times. And thinking through what this number means got me thinking about broader conversations about "impact" and "success" in research and academia... 🧵
140
Reposted by Dr. Melissa Lott
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 18/05/2024
There’s a growing trend of replacing shuttered coal plants with solar, batteries, or other forms of clean energy. The ground is already cleared and the hookup to the electrical power grid is already there, so it makes all the sense in the world! More of this please 😊🌎 Here’s Nevada USA…
yahoo.com
Former coal-fired power plant site now home to incredible new energy storage system: 'The infrastructure to connect the battery system to the grid at scale already exists'
"Throughout 2024, our customers are going to see their bills be between 15 and 20% lower by the end of the year."
15593191
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 25/03/2024
First episode goes live Wednesday… Trailer: x.com/ecoeye/statu... Related artivle on impact of climate change in Ireland: www.rte.ie/culture/2024...
rte.ie
Philip Boucher-Hayes on Ireland's future in a warmer world
Ahead of the first episode of RTE's landmark documentary series on climate change, Rising Tides, Philip Boucher-Hayes writes about the programme he has been trying to make for twenty years.
010
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 25/03/2024
Awesome to see the trailer for #RisingTides drop! Enjoyed recording with Philip Boucher-Hayes on campus here at Columbia University last fall. And am excited to see how it all has come together. Huge thanks to Natalie Volk for all her hard work sorting the logistics for recording that day!
120
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
On Thursday 3/27 - C3E is hosting a rockstar panel on "Leveraging Data & Digitalization to Make the Grid More Visible, Resilient, & Clean” w/ Lisa Frantzis, Page Crahan, Alexina Jackson, Maria Pope, & Silvia Valerio c3e.org/webinars
c3e.org
Webinars — The Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Initiative
032
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
In the words of the study's authors "The 2017 total solar eclipse came and went without causing any issues to the operation of the North American electric power system" www.nrel.gov/docs/fy18ost...
nrel.gov
000
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
And we have experience with managing the impacts of an eclipse. For example, if you take a look at analysis from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on the 2017 eclipse, you'll see that what was predicted versus what happened was pretty dead-on. #science #energy #space #eclipse
100
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
As I told Phaedra - unlike a natural disaster or sudden weather emergency, utility companies can prepare for an eclipse because we know its path, timing and duration well in advance.
110
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
Yesterday, I spoke with Phaedra Trethan @usatoday.com about how April's eclipse will impact solar power in its path. #Eclipse2024 #solar www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...
usatoday.com
Darkness from April's eclipse will briefly impact solar power in its path. What to know.
The eclipse isn't expected to disrupt the nation's power grid and power companies are planning to compensate for the temporary dip in solar power.
120
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
On this season of #TheBigSwitch we discuss what it will take to electrify much of the global economy in order to hit net-zero emissions by 2050 Happy listening! 👇🎧 t.co/s35UUDEycM
t.co
‎The Big Switch: Part 1: Are Batteries the New Oil? on Apple Podcasts
‎Show The Big Switch, Ep Part 1: Are Batteries the New Oil? - Feb 28, 2024
000
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
To ramp up production of these --- and the other technologies we need to solve climate change --- we need to reconfigure our supply chains.
100
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
This unprecedented demand is mostly because of two things --- aging infrastructure and increasing electricity use. And these transformers are just one of the MANY technologies that we need more of if we want to achieve goals for getting the energy system to #NetZero
130
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
Almost all of our electricity flows through a distribution transformer, a tech that is facing unprecedented demand. New analysis from NREL estimates that transformer capacity will need to increase 160%–260% by 2050 compared to 2021 levels. That's a BIG deal. www.nrel.gov/news/program...
nrel.gov
How Many Transformers Will US Distribution Grid Need by 2050?
New NREL research is providing first-of-its-kind modeling to help curb the current shortage of distribution transformers and ensure a reliable and resilient power grid.
181
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 06/03/2024
This piece borrows reporting from the latest episode of The Big Switch... Happy listening! link.chtbl.com/Cu9hdh-b
link.chtbl.com
The Big Switch
To slow climate change, we need to transform our homes, buildings, cars, and economy quickly. "The Big Switch" explains how to rebuild the energy systems all around us. Dr. Melissa Lott of Columbia Un...
000
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 06/03/2024
From Latitude Media: Electrification requires batteries, and batteries require critical minerals, which means that however much the battery economy is heralded as a decarbonization solution, it's still an extraction economy. The question is: can we change that? www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-min...
latitudemedia.com
The mining conundrum for critical minerals | Latitude Media
The battery economy is still an extraction economy. Can we build it differently?
111
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 06/03/2024
"However, both parties must acknowledge differences while cooperating on agreed-upon issues to build a successful partnership. India in the IEA fold could also serve as a model for engaging the rest of the non-OECD world." says Dr. Kaushik Deb from the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA
000
Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott.bsky.social · 06/03/2024
"And the benefits for India in learning from the expertise the IEA brings, as it seeks to build a modern economy that is secure from energy shocks and climate proof, are substantial"
110