It’s exciting to see renewable energy sources like wind and solar scaling up, but all that power is pointless if it can’t get to where it’s needed. That’s where transmission lines come in.

We often discuss the much-needed transformation of our nation’s energy grid. Experts envision a smart, adaptable network equipped with solar panels, batteries and microgrids. Another important element of that transformation is reconductoring.

It has been called the Swiss Army Knife of clean energy and climate solutions. Hydrogen is, indeed, one mighty little molecule. It wields the potential to revolutionize heavy industries, store renewable energy and reduce emissions in sectors that have proven difficult to decarbonize. But what is the value of potential without measures taken to unleash it?

Solar energy isn’t just growing. It’s multiplying. As a recent story in The Economist points out, the rise of solar power represents one of those rare cases where calling growth “exponential” is not hyperbole, but rather a statement of fact.

There are over 1,500 policies in place globally — not to mention billions allocated to combat this challenge. So what’s working?  How does one calculate the combined effectiveness of more than a thousand initiatives?

Recently, the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act was enacted into law. It’s a great piece of bipartisan legislation but it's worth placing into context with the state of our nuclear industry and the role that nuclear will play in the energy transition.

Like so much of the best policy crafted on Capitol Hill, the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (EPRA) is a product of bipartisan collaboration — a medley of prudent legislative measures that, together, equals a package more efficient and comprehensive than the sum of its parts.

The impact of some messaging bills is so uncertain that we should be thankful they never become law. However, two important ideas are working their way through the noise that could significantly impact climate change. Because of their impact, scope, and complexity, members should be spending more time on these than messaging bills.

While optimizing energy use is valuable, it's not the sole solution to significantly lowering emissions. We're racing against moving targets—not only are emissions climbing, but so is our energy demand.

The problem is that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) models fit reality with either a little warming and little aerosol cooling or significant warming and significant aerosol cooling. In the humble opinion of your correspondent, our collective unwillingness to measure aerosols will be one of our greatest errors in addressing climate change.