Federal energy office illustrates the perils of fluctuating budgets and priorities

When presidential administrations turn over, funding levels and project priorities change. A look at one specific government office demonstrates how these shifts in direction waste time and money.

Christelle Khalaf, Associate Director, Government Finance Research Center, University of Illinois Chicago • conversation
June 24, 2025 • ~11 min

The UK’s warm homes plan has been saved – here’s how Labour can learn from a decade of failed insulation schemes

Labour will not cut the £13.2 billion warm homes plan, as some expected. But issues remain.

Madeleine Pauker, PhD Candidate, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex • conversation
June 18, 2025 • ~9 min

Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

The small blue Energy Star label has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the US.

Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles • conversation
June 12, 2025 • ~10 min

How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate

Some technologies could rapidly cut emissions, while others do little to fight climate change. The House bill favors the latter while nixing support for the former.

Daniel Cohan, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University • conversation
June 10, 2025 • ~10 min

Appliance efficiency standards save consumers billions, reduce pollution and fight climate change

About 40% of total US energy consumption is used by household and industrial appliances, such as heating and cooling systems, refrigerators and lighting.

David J. Vogel, Professor Emeritus of Business Ethics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley • conversation
April 17, 2025 • ~10 min

From watts to warheads: Secretary of energy oversees big science research and the US nuclear arsenal

The Energy Department has a dual mission with a heavy science focus and manages large, expensive programs, many of which are behind schedule and over budget.

Margaret E. Kosal, Associate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
Jan. 12, 2025 • ~12 min

Carbon offsets can help bring energy efficiency to low-income Americans − our Nashville data shows it could be a win for everyone

Insulating attics, replacing windows and adding heat pumps can save money and reduce emissions − if residents can afford the upgrades. Carbon-offset purchases by local companies could help.

James Muchira, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Vanderbilt University • conversation
Nov. 19, 2024 • ~9 min

Companies are buying up cheap carbon offsets − data suggest it may be more about greenwashing than helping the climate

A deep dive into 866 public companies and 1,413 carbon projects reveals some twists in who relies on cheap offsets and who chooses to cut their own emissions instead.

Sehoon Kim, Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Florida • conversation
Nov. 11, 2024 • ~8 min

Companies are buying up cheap carbon offsets − data suggest it’s more about greenwashing than helping the climate

A deep dive into 866 public companies and 1,413 carbon projects reveals some twists in who relies on cheap offsets and who chooses to cut their own emissions instead.

Sehoon Kim, Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Florida • conversation
Nov. 11, 2024 • ~8 min

Who is in fuel poverty? The government has no idea as it moves to cut winter fuel payments

Eligibility for pension credit is not a useful guide to whether a household is fuel poor.

Brenda Boardman, Emeritus Research Fellow in Energy, University of Oxford • conversation
Sept. 13, 2024 • ~7 min

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