Green Jobs

ChatGPT generated illustration representing the neutral techno-economic analysis that tipped Bayreuth toward electrification

Neutral Techno-Economics Beats Hydrogen Narratives

Bayreuth, a pleasant Bavarian city of about 75,000 people, has become an unlikely symbol of learning in the hydrogen story. Two years ago, its municipal utility, Stadtwerke Bayreuth, announced a plan to decarbonize its bus fleet with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. It looked like the future. The proposal included a … [continued]

Cover of report on cement decarbonization by Michael Barnard, Chief Strategist, TFIE Strategy Inc

From Gray Glue to Green Foundations: Cement’s 2100 Transition

The publication of the white paper Beyond Portland: Cement’s Transition to 2100 by TFIE Strategy Inc comes at a moment when the cement and concrete industries stand at the center of the global climate challenge. Cement is everywhere—in the foundations of homes, the bridges that span rivers, the ports that … [continued]

Chatgpt generated: The mechanics of a transit death spiral mapped onto a single block

The Clock Is Ticking for U.S. Transit: State Action or Service Collapse

Transit death spirals do not start with a single dramatic event. They begin when operating gaps push agencies to trim frequency, defer maintenance, and raise fares, which in turn push riders away and deepen the hole. It is not inevitable. It is, however, on a short clock. Preventing service collapse … [continued]

ChatGPT generated image of Masdar City’s streetscape where district cooling and architectural design reduce heat stress in one of the hottest regions on Earth

Underground Heat, Urban Cool: The Physics & Promise of Geothermal Cooling

Cooling in the Persian Gulf is one of the hardest energy challenges anywhere on the planet. Air conditioning is not a luxury in the United Arab Emirates but a necessity, and it consumes as much as 70% of the country’s electricity. That reality has made Masdar City, the experimental urban … [continued]

Chatgpt generated: The Hudson River Tunnel, a critical rail artery, left in limbo by federal funding cuts during the 2025 shutdown

Hydrogen Hubs, Rail Tunnels, and Walkability: Winners & Losers in the Shutdown Cuts

The Trump administration’s October 2025 decision to cancel $26 billion in clean energy and transportation infrastructure funding came as a surprise only in its breadth. The cuts were rolled out during a federal shutdown and framed by the administration as an act of fiscal prudence, even as they disrupted ongoing … [continued]

ChatGPT generated infographic detailing the implications of maritime LNG slippage

The LNG Detour: What Scotland’s New Ferry Teaches Us

Scotland’s Glen Sannox was launched with fanfare as the country’s first “green” ferry, meant to reduce the impact of crossings between the mainland and Arran. It was designed as a dual-fuel vessel, running on either marine diesel or liquefied natural gas, with the promise of cleaner air and lower emissions. … [continued]

Chatgpt generated: Economic and operational contrast between molten salt storage and simpler, lower cost solid storage systems

Why Molten Salt Won’t Be the Future of Industrial Heat Storage

Molten salt has long been positioned as the workhorse of high temperature thermal storage. Its story began with research in the 1980s and early deployment in Spanish parabolic trough plants in the 2000s. The technology was appealing on paper. A mixture of sodium and potassium nitrate has a high heat … [continued]

Chatgpt generated: Split scene showing abandoned CSP mirrors in the desert on one side and vast PV farms with batteries on the other, symbolizing the energy transition

Ivanpah & Heliogen: Lessons from Concentrated Solar’s Decline

Ivanpah was supposed to be the future. When it opened in the Mojave Desert in 2014, with its three towers glowing like beacons and almost 400 MW of capacity, it was the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world. It had the backing of Google, NRG Energy, BrightSource, and … [continued]

Chatgpt generated: Panoramic cutaway of the abyssal plain at 6 km depth, showing a fleet of autonomous robots with lights and arms plucking nodules one by one

Seabed Mining Under the Microscope: A Techno-Economic Reality Check

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with a global expert on minerals processing and battery minerals, Lyle Trytten. We were closing out an engagement to do a technoeconomic assessment of seabed mining and it was a great opportunity to discuss the space and some of the things we … [continued]

Chatgpt generated: Canada’s permanent transit fund connecting housing and clean transit at scale

New Canadian Transit Fund Aligns Housing & Mobility, Retires Flawed Hydrogen Push

Canada has taken a major step forward in its approach to public transit funding. The new Canada Public Transit Fund, announced last year and going into effect in 2026, replaces the Zero Emission Transit Fund with a permanent, predictable framework that will shape investments for decades. Instead of short-term envelopes … [continued]