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Ben Paulos

@paulosanalysis.com
8K followers 233 following 930 posts

Consulting on energy policy, technology and trends at PaulosAnalysis.com. Affiliated with the Incentive Finder (govcentives.com), Ava Community Energy, Clean Energy States Alliance, and @solarunitedneighbors.org but posts are my own.

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Reposted by Ben Paulos
Ava Community Energy @avaenergy.org · 3h
No home charger? No problem. We asked our coworker what it's like to own an EV and rely entirely on public charging. Read on for their experience and advice! AvaEnergy.org/insight/what-its-like-to-own-an-ev-without-home-charging
Person plugs in electric vehicle at a public fast charging station in a parking lot during daytime. Text reads "Insight. What It's Like to Own an EV Without Home Charging"Text reads "V and their wife are now on their second EV—a Kia Niro they’ve had since 2023—and they rely entirely on public charging. 
V’s advice is to keep track of your typical weekly mileage, and then calculate how often you really need to charge based on the vehicle’s range. “You might be surprised by how low that number actually is. Maybe you only need to charge once a week, or once every 10 days or so.” AvaEnergy.org/Insights"
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 28/09/2026
I heard ads like this last summer from a congresswoman from Iowa, paid for by her “franking” budget. If it’s not right before an election it is apparently allowed. I wonder how common it is, and what kind of messages are used. www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/12/07/m...
bleedingheartland.com
Miller-Meeks touts praise from Trump in taxpayer-funded ads
Laura Belin: Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks is spending part of her Congressional office budget on ads about the "great job" she's doing.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 27/09/2026
I hope the @ternerhousing.bsky.social Center quantifies the impact on Berkeley rents that all the new UC dorms are going to have. This is 3 very large dorms, maybe 5,000 renters taken off the private rental market. I hear often that laws of supply & demand don’t apply to housing.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 26/09/2026
Even @microsoft.com is no better than crypto miners, setting up 130 MW of gas generators without a permit, to power Copilot. New Jersey fined them $1m but let them keep operating. Why @mikiesherrill.bsky.social? share.google/NwgmhdK4iHwm...
share.google
New Jersey hits data center powering Microsoft Copilot with $1m fine after drone expose 62 secretly-installed gas generators
A data center was using illegal gas generators
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 25/09/2026
Interest in plug-in solar seems boundless. I got interviewed for an article in @gizmodo.com today, for @cleanenergystates.bsky.social. gizmodo.com/the-balcony-...
gizmodo.com
The Balcony Solar Craze Has Reached the US. Here's What to Know Before You Buy
As electricity prices soar, more Americans are turning to plug-in solar panels to cut costs.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 25/09/2026
Um, Silicon Valley? Not on the list?
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 25/09/2026
Those radical communists at @reason.com lay out the impact of Trump’s trade wars on farmers, and the resulting political dissatisfaction. flip.it/vQWcbl
flip.it
The collapse of farm exports is the most underappreciated story in American politics
It was a direct result of President Donald Trump's trade war, as even the Department of Agriculture now admits.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 25/09/2026
My son @jeromepaulos.com and I make a web tool that helps you find clean energy incentives and determines your eligibility, based on location and income. It's in use by 8 California CCAs and one REN. Here's how Ava Energy uses it to help customers participate in #DriveElectricMonth.
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Reposted by Ben Paulos
Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 24/09/2026
A report by US Senate leaders details "transactional corruption" between the fossil fuel industry and the Trump administration. Dismantling pollution protections. Installing oil execs at the EPA. Over $190 BILLION in industry subsidies over the next decade. And that's just the tip of the iceberg🧵⬇️
Graphic showing a black-and-white government building beneath several industrial smokestacks releasing thick clouds of dark smoke. An American flag flies above the building. Large red and white text reads: “The Billion Dollar Deal: How the Fossil Fuel Industry Bought the Trump Administration, Cashed In, and Left Americans to Pay the Price.”
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 23/09/2026
And join a webinar with the author on Tuesday, September 29 at 1pm ET / 10am PT. Register here: zoom.us/webinar/regi...
zoom.us
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: An Introduction to Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
Virtual power plants (VPPs) have the potential to help meet rising electricity demand while saving billions of dollars annually in avoided costs. A VPP is a network of distributed energy resources tha...
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 23/09/2026
You've heard of VPPs, but do you understand them? A new report by Adam Warren for the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) explains how virtual power plants operate and what is needed for their success. Learn the ABCs of VPPs! www.cesa.org/resource-lib...
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 23/09/2026
Unless you capture the heat and put it to work, providing heating and cooling to the community. 
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Reposted by Ben Paulos
Possibly @askpossibly.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Advocates of plug-in solar panels say they’re an easy and cheap way to transition to renewable energy and reduce electricity costs. On this week's episode, we talk to @paulosanalysis.com to see if they live up to the hype. Listen now at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts.
oceanstatemedia.org
What is plug-in solar?
Advocates of plug-in solar panels say they’re an easy and cheap way to transition to renewable energy and reduce electricity costs. This week we see if they live up to the hype
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 22/09/2026
I've wondered if tenant protection and rent control prevents people from turning single-family homes into duplexes. You'd think it would be an attractive way to finance your expensive new home, to have a tenant, but it seems most of these projects are just expansion.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 22/09/2026
I'm on Possibly, a show from Rhode Island public radio (@oceanstatemedia.bsky.social), talking about plug-in solar. Just 4 minutes. The sponsor of the legislation there said it was a "love fest." www.oceanstatemedia.org/possibly/202...
oceanstatemedia.org
What is plug-in solar?
Advocates of plug-in solar panels say they’re an easy and cheap way to transition to renewable energy and reduce electricity costs. This week we see if they live up to the hype
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 21/09/2026
I was disappointed to see NPPD build some new gas turbines and engines. It’s time for some batteries in Nebraska to go with all that good wind and solar. 
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 21/09/2026
Here you go, the Progressive Policy Institute is identified as working for the fossil gas industry. Called a “trusted center-left ally.” Not any more! See slide 7. @energyandpolicy.org s3.documentcloud.org/documents/28...
s3.documentcloud.org
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 19/09/2026
I’m going to blow some minds in this thread by saying YOU CAN USE HEAT TO PROVIDE COOLING! Behold the absorption chiller. share.google/na7I0CaepMKh...
share.google
Heat for cooling — HeatCalc
Waste heat from industrial processes can be recovered and turned into cooling with absorption chillers. The cooling produced from the heat energy can be used for refrigeration or air conditioning.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 19/09/2026
Yes. I learned that most lamb meat is imported, so maybe agrivoltaics will increase domestic lamb production.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 19/09/2026
The OG climate warrior Joe Romm just passed away. His critique of hydrogen from ~2004, The Hype About Hydrogen, would be worth revisiting.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 18/09/2026
EPA's cancellation of the Solar For All program has been overturned by a district court. With so many court cases going their way, you'd think the Trump people would get tired of all the winning... solarunitedneighbors.org/wp-content/u...
solarunitedneighbors.org
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 18/09/2026
Yes, and there are many versions of agrivoltaics for produce and livestock, though row crops are harder. This particular project is in the Missouri River Valley which frequently floods, and has a lot of sand. So it's not great soil. The farmer was pretty excited about $1200 per acre.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 18/09/2026
This is exactly how solar development in farmland should happen. Listen to the quotes from the farmers: "it's good for the soil to give it a rest" "I'll be able to retire someday and the land will be in a profitable state so I can pass it on to my children" www.ketv.com/article/mill...
ketv.com
3,200-acre Mills County, Iowa solar farm project clears major hurdle
A proposed solar farm cleared a major hurdle in Mills County this week. Come 2028, it could be one of the largest solar farms in Iowa.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 14/09/2026
This is a huge opportunity to install heat pumps for cooling and heating. And to electrify space heating in Europe. Are there any countries pursuing that? 
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 12/09/2026
No wonder Republicans talk about pedophiles so much. Another clip for your collection, @volts.wtf. www.twincities.com/2026/09/11/u...
twincities.com
Convicted sex offender offered opening prayer at rally for GOP Senate nominee in North Carolina
Records show pastor Daimon L. King was convicted twice for offenses involving children.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 12/09/2026
I’d like to see the refund for this come straight out of Secretary Wright’s pocket. Or maybe from the API.
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Reposted by Ben Paulos
Christian Roselund @roselund.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Finally got around to reading @sueanderbois.bsky.social's very detailed & comprehensive Energy Plan. This is the kind of vision that we need in #RhodeIsland & this is why I will be voting for Sue for Lt. Governor. (We at @climateactionri.org also endorsed her). www.sueanderbois.com/priorities
sueanderbois.com
Priorities | SueAnderBois.com
Sue AnderBois is running for Rhode Island lieutenant governor to make government work for Rhode Islanders, give the office a purpose, and get things done.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 05/09/2026
I’d like to see data centers used as heat sources for district energy systems. Put them in industrial areas and urban centers.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 04/09/2026
I laughed, ruefully, when they claimed that the bike plan is a legally binding document. If only!
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Reposted by Ben Paulos
Sue AnderBois @sueanderbois.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
‘Wow! I think I just met the real life Leslie Knope!’ We have heard this at nearly every campaign stop, house party, & community meeting. Sue really is Rhode Island’s Leslie Knope! And we have less than a week to elect Rhode Island’s real life Leslie Knope to be your next Lt Gov!
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 04/09/2026
Oh I like that price. Tesla is on the high cost end. And you have to add shipping and labor.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 04/09/2026
It only applies to the gas line from the street to the home, not the whole neighborhood circuit. PG&E (I think) tried to get a whole neighborhood off gas and there were too many refusals. It creates a new incentive for electrification, but does not solve the gas death spiral.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 04/09/2026
The guy at the end of the article in Phoenix did not sign up for a VPP with Ava Community Energy, which serves the SF East Bay. Ava does offer the Smart Home Battery program, but not in Phoenix. avaenergy.org/go-electric/... @akshatrathi.bsky.social, @oliviarudgard.bsky.social
avaenergy.org
Ava SmartHome Battery - Ava Community Energy
Whether you’re installing a new solar and battery system, adding a home battery to your existing solar system, or already own a solar and battery system,
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 04/09/2026
The chart shows him selling about 9 kWh that day: 3 kW for 3 hours plus 2 kW for one hour. Not 200 kWh. $82 for 9 kWh is $9 each. Possible but kinda high for a retail-facing dynamic price. That used to be the ERCOT price cap ($9,000 / MWh) until they panicked and lowered it to $5k. Lastly:
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 04/09/2026
There are some errors here. A "200 kWh home battery" is fifteen Powerwall3's. Pretty unlikely he's got 15 big batteries in his garage (at a cost of about $200k). And...
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 03/09/2026
The reporter might want to research transmission congestion and LMPs in North Dakota. It’s all about the export.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 31/08/2026
@solarunitedneighbors.org has been doing group solar buys for a long time. Now they are getting a boost from a partnership with the State of Virginia. The numbers are much bigger! We might need more celebrity endorsements to reach bigger audiences.
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Reposted by Ben Paulos
Will Gorman @wfgorman.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
ERCOT's "connect and manage" model gets the buzz in grid reform debates, but U.S. regions already offer a non-firm option: Energy Resource Interconnection Service. So why are IX queues still bottlenecked? Our new paper in Energy Policy investigates 🧵 👇️ www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 30/08/2026
I’m glad to see that California is “a challenging place for data center developers.” Why any state would offer tax breaks to attract them I don’t know. flip.it/Ao.qNI
flip.it
California lawmakers reach deal in high-stakes fight over regulating data centers
After weeks of intense negotiation, state lawmakers on Friday reached a compromise on legislation to regulate energy use by California's growing data center industry, action triggered by community ang...
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 28/08/2026
Very nice Sankey diagram of US trade flows for goods and services. I'm not sure why we're mad at Canada, since our net trade deficit is only $35b. Mexico and South Korea are much larger. Though I'd like to see this viz with more countries. public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
public.tableau.com
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 27/08/2026
The NYT says “The savings tend to be greater for people who live in energy-efficient apartments or houses that use relatively little electricity.” This is incorrect. We have tiered rates in CA so plug-in solar offsets higher tier 2 rates of large consumers. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/b...
nytimes.com
California Lawmakers Pass Plug-In Solar Bill
Legislatures in nearly a dozen states have voted to legalize use of the technology, which can help homeowners reduce their rising electricity costs.
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Reposted by Ben Paulos
Senator Scott Wiener @scottwiener.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
BIG WIN FOR LOWER ENERGY BILLS AND CLEAN ENERGY: My legislation to allow people to use plug-in solar (aka balcony solar) just received final Senate sign-off and is on its way to the Governor!
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Reposted by Ben Paulos
Berkeley Climate Equity Action @climateequity.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
California homes that already have solar can add up to 1 kilowatt of plug-in solar. Soon everyone else will be able to, as SB878 from @scottwiener.bsky.social is almost on the desk of @governor.ca.gov.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 26/08/2026
Fresno is bone dry 9 months of the year. But dusty, so that robot will be busy. For winter rains they have a lot of these retention ponds built in the neighborhoods, so they must have a high water table.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 25/08/2026
The extremely low cost of solar panels is resulting in some things that used to be unthinkable. Like vertical mounted and flat mounted systems. Here’s one in Fresno with panels lying on the ground. No mounts.  share.google/NcaQnMYhWWde...
share.google
Direct-to-ground Erthos Earth Mount Solar installation goes live at Fresno water treatment plant - pv magazine USA
ForeFront Power chose Erthos Earth Mount Solar for the City of Fresno’s Northeast Surface Water Treatment Plant for many reasons, not the least of which were lower labor and materials costs compared t...
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Reposted by Ben Paulos
É preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo @tela.myatproto.social · 22/08/2026
One of my sisters worked on the original legislation backed by MADD in part bc a cousin‘s father & husband were killed by drunk drivers & both times the cops were like “this shouldn’t ruin someone’s life.” Absolutely shameful that California is backsliding.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 22/08/2026
The Vatican is building an 80 MW agrivoltaic plant. The Father, the Sun, and the Holy Goat! 🥁 flip.it/LO1lfY
flip.it
Vatican to build $148m renewable energy plant
The Vatican plans to build a €100 million agrivoltaic plant to power Vatican City with renewable energy and support energy self-sufficiency within two years. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more a...
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 22/08/2026
It’s good to see @senatorcervantes.bsky.social stand up for DRUNK DRIVERS! They only killed 1300 people in California last year. We’ve got to get those numbers up! calmatters.org/investigatio...
calmatters.org
Lawmakers gut major DUI reform through 'hostile amendments'
Sabrina Cervantes' committee's "hostile amendment" gutted a major DUI reform bill with widespread support in Sacramento.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 20/08/2026
If you want to dig in on the alleged and real safety issues, drop me a line. I think the value of energy exports is going to be a bigger issue, in some areas. www.cesa.org/resource-lib...
cesa.org
What States Need to Know About Plug-In Solar - Clean Energy States Alliance
This paper provides information and guidance on plug-in solar configurations, regulatory issues, economics, and safety concerns.
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Ben Paulos @paulosanalysis.com · 18/08/2026
True! Here is PG&E's most common residential rate. So tier 2, summer, afternoon is 40¢. Peak is 52¢. So if you make 1-3pm free, you pre-cool your house to get through the evening peak.
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