Most Americans only think about turkeys once a year, when Thanksgiving rolls around. We often take for granted that there will be a bird at the grocery store in exactly the size and weight we want. But what many don’t know is that wild turkeys, the domestic turkey’s ancestor, were once nearly wiped out across much of the United States due to overhunting and habitat loss.
From Sci-Fi to Strategy: Why Governments Are Betting on Space-Based Solar Power
The future of clean energy may be out of this world—literally.
Researchers around the globe are racing to turn space-based solar power, an idea once dismissed as science fiction, into a practical tool for delivering constant, carbon-free electricity back to Earth.
The Myth of America’s Energy Independence
Energy Independence: this idea is wrapped around the promise that America can stand apart from global uncertainty by running on its own bountiful resources, immune to worldwide instability and to the control of oil-rich autocracies. Here is the uncomfortable truth: energy independence is a complete myth.
Taking the Politics Out of Permitting Reform
Efficient permitting isn’t a partisan luxury – it's a national imperative. As our nation confronts rising energy demand, aging infrastructure, and growing pressure on our natural lands, the question is not whether we should reform our permitting processes; it’s how quickly and boldly we will.
Understanding the Trade-Offs Among Energy Sources
Economist Thomas Sowell once stated, “There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.” Nowhere is that clearer than in debates over climate policy, where enthusiasm for low-carbon technologies frequently outpaces planning for their long-term consequences.
Getting Emissions Numbers Right
As politicians and philanthropists shift their attention to other global issues, many journalists and scientists continue to sound the alarm about climate change. There is a tendency, however, to highlight only the most negative interpretations of new research in order to amplify public concern and emphasize urgency. As a result, press releases and news stories far too often overstate or misrepresent the scientific findings they cite.
Let’s Make a Deal on Energy Infrastructure
New York State recently approved construction of a controversial natural-gas pipeline in an effort to ease rising energy prices and prevent future supply shortages. The decision drew criticism from Democratic politicians and environmental groups, who argue that the underwater pipeline will compromise water quality and further entrench reliance on fossil fuels.
Reward Prevention, Not Inaction
Each year, Americans spend billions fighting fires that could have been prevented for much less. In 2023 alone, the government spent nearly $4.5 billion on wildfire suppression. Add in the destroyed homes, shut down businesses, and smoke-related health costs, and the total cost soars well into the tens of billions.
Study Brings Light to Heated Discussion over Rising Electricity Bills
A lot of attention has been paid to the role of growing electricity use by data centers; however, most commentary has proceeded without much in the way of thoughtful analysis. A study on drivers of state-level trends in U.S. retail electricity prices from the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab begins to fill the gap.
What Can States Do to Embrace Advanced Nuclear?
At a recent hearing in Tallahassee, Florida, I testified on the advantages and promise of advanced nuclear technologies, as well as the policies needed to reduce costs and bring small modular reactors online more efficiently.









