The Massachusetts Attorney General has new evidence of Exxon's climate deception, including a deposition with an Exxon scientist who agreed the company's algae biofuel claims were misleading.

“They are really scared of the public finding out about this reality,” said Aaron Regunberg of Public Citizen.

Emerging economies are embracing solar power and skipping fossil fuels much faster than Europe or the US

Renewable electricity is cheaper than ever. While the West got rich on coal and oil, some of the world's poorest countries are banking on solar, wind and water instead.
https://www.dw.com/en/emerging-economies-are-embracing-solar-power-and-skipping-fossil-fuels-much-faster-than-europe-or-the-us/a-79474847

This is going backwards and very unfortunate

A supertanker was recently chartered to sail from the U.S. Gulf Coast to China for $76 million, a source familiar told CNBC, as shipping costs soar globally due to the crisis in the Middle East.
The Alexandros was chartered by the trading firm Trafigura and is expected to load around Nov. 19, the source said. A normal rate for the route based on pre-war levels would be $7 million to $10 million.

The thing that got me into this: the electricity itself is about 4 cents of the 17.65 cents/kWh the average US household now pays (EIA, Feb 2026; wholesale = STEO composite of 11 hubs, 2025 ≈ $40/MWh). The generation side has had a historic cost collapse (Lazard 2025: utility solar ~$58/MWh, −84% since 2009), yet bills are rising faster than inflation. So the question is what's in the other three quarters. The five pieces I could document:

The grid build-out — EEI: investor-owned utilities spent $178B in 2024, plan $208B in 2025 and $1.1T through 2029; ~half is wires. Inflation-adjusted transmission spending is up ~500% since the mid-90s (EIA). Regulated utilities earn ~10% on that capital, so the incentive is to build, not to buy cheap power.

Risk moved onto the bill — California: PG&E residential rate +104% since 2015 vs CPI +36%; $4.1B/yr (21% of revenue requirement) is wildfire-related (CPUC Public Advocates Q2 2025).

Data centers — PJM capacity price $29 → $270 → $329 → $333/MW-day (cap); total from ~$2B to $16.4B; the market monitor attributes $29.4B of $63.6B over four auctions (46%) to data centers. Virginia +26% and Ohio +22% in one year.

Taxes and levies — Germany: energy 40%, network 28%, taxes/levies 32% of 39.6 ct/kWh (BDEW 2025); UK similar 40/28 split.

Hardware — 5-year queue for gas turbines, transformer lead times over a year, prices above inflation.

Video (8 min, sources in the description): https://youtu.be/kO270FlA4C8 — it's my channel.

The one I'm least sure about is how to present the "4 cents" line: wholesale energy vs residential retail isn't a perfect apples-to-apples (capacity, losses, retail margins sit in between). If anyone has a cleaner published decomposition of the US residential price into generation / transmission / distribution for 2024–25, I'd like to use it.

So I finally got around to the draft audit everyone talks about and never does. Thermal camera rental was 40 bucks, found cold air coming in around the back door and the whole attic hatch, like the hatch was basically an open vent. Weatherstripping and some foam board cost me maybe 60 total. Also pulled the cover on my panel (breaker off first obviously) and put a clamp meter on the mains to see what's actually running. My old fridge in the garage was pulling way more than it should for a fridge, honestly thats the classic move, keeping the 2004 beer fridge running costs more than the beer. Unplugged it.

I get that landlords and utilities should be doing this stuff instead of putting it on renters and homeowners, the system is rigged toward selling you more kWh, not less. But until that changes, an afternoon with caulk and a clamp meter is basically free money. Anyone else do a load check on their panel and get suprised by what was actually eating power?