Ebikes, energy costs and funds to get funds
A round up of recent stories, plus a guessing game on what local electricity supply actually looks like
Welcome back to The Planet You Save May Be Your Own, a weekly newsletter on local & state climate action.
I’m Taylor Kate Brown and this newsletter grows by word-of-mouth. Someone share or forward this edition with you? Sign up here. You can also read and share this edition online
I'm traveling this week, so this edition includes lots of local climate action links this week.
- DC folks: The first window for ebike vouchers for those enrolled in a variety of low-income programs is about to open. Plus: A "bike lobby" connecting the MBT to the east side of Florida Avenue is open. (Popville)
- Op-Ed: Energy costs can imperil Black homeownership. DC legislation could help. (Greater Greater Washington)
- Here’s how global warming is reshaping your backyards. You can look it up (Washington Post)
- 25 US cities (like Akron, Ohio and Birmingham, Alabama) chosen for Bloomberg Philanthropies funds and technical assistance to apply for federal money to cut emissions (Axios).
- In New York City, heat pumps that fit in apartment windows promise big emissions cuts (AP)
- Colorado’s fossil fuel phase-out bill is likely to fail without big changes, but supporters still hope it sends a message (Colorado Public Radio)
- Changes to Hawai'i's home battery program could hinder transition off oil
- Climate analysts to Minnesota's gas utilities: Good start, do better (Energy News Network)
- Xcel Energy acknowleges its role in a fire that's grown to be the largest in Texas state history (Texas Tribune)
- Plan to drill for oil and gas near Lowry Landfill Superfund site southeast of Denver raises red flags (Colorado Sun)
Here's a fun bonus, "What is actually powering different regional electricity grids" guessing game: These three graphs show the total energy generation for electricity for one whole day (in this case, March 12, 2024) broken down by source for three US regions. Given the knowledge that "region" can be interpreted somewhat broadly (including some particularly large states), where do you think these graphs represent? Reply to this email with what you think:
