Energy Policy

10 articles

Smokestacks of the Huntley Generating Station, a coal plant on the Niagara River in Tonawanda, New York

How carbon pricing works around the world in 2026

See how carbon pricing works, from carbon taxes to cap-and-trade markets, plus current US and EU allowance prices and why the US has no federal one.

Energy PolicyBy Energy CollectiveSep 25, 20265 min read

Main entrance of the EPA headquarters in the William Jefferson Clinton Building in Washington, DC

What happened to the EPA’s Clean Power Plan

The Clean Power Plan set a 32% emissions target for 2030, but courts stalled it before EPA repealed it, and federal power plant carbon rules keep changing.

Energy PolicyBy Energy CollectiveSep 22, 20265 min read

A crude oil tanker docked at Port Arthur, Texas

Is the US energy independent in 2026?

Is US energy independence real in 2026? The US posts record oil output and net energy exports, yet crude imports still run 6.2 million barrels a day.

Energy PolicyBy Energy CollectiveSep 19, 20265 min read

NOAA Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, where atmospheric carbon dioxide has been measured since the 1950s

How do we know humans are causing climate change?

Is climate change caused by humans? Yes. NOAA and IPCC data show how scientists know, from record heat to a fossil fuel fingerprint in the air.

Energy PolicyBy Energy CollectiveSep 16, 20265 min read

Small ground-mounted solar arrays on a farm property

How much money is going into clean energy now

Renewable energy investment is part of the $2.2 trillion that went into clean energy in 2025, almost twice fossil fuel spending. See where it went.

Energy PolicyBy Energy CollectiveSep 3, 20265 min read

A row of public electric vehicle charging stations

How fast people are switching to electric vehicles in 2026

Worldwide electric vehicle adoption hit a record in 2025, but US sales reversed hard once the $7,500 federal tax credit expired in September.

Energy PolicyBy Energy CollectiveAug 25, 20265 min read

A Marcellus shale natural gas drilling rig and well site in rural Pennsylvania

How much water does fracking use?

How much water does fracking use? A typical horizontal shale gas well takes about 5.1 million gallons, and per-well use has climbed as wells got longer.

Energy PolicyBy Energy CollectiveJul 28, 20265 min read

The Le Bourget conference center outside Paris during the COP21 climate summit in 2015

What the UN climate summits have achieved since Copenhagen

COP30 closed in Belém without a binding fossil fuel deal. See what the UN climate summits have delivered since Copenhagen, and what comes next.

Energy PolicyBy Energy CollectiveJul 28, 20265 min read

An oil refinery at Anacortes, Washington

How much are fossil fuels subsidized, in the US and worldwide

Worldwide fossil fuel subsidies hit $620 billion in 2023 under the IEA, or $7 trillion under the IMF, plus what US oil and gas tax breaks cost.

Energy PolicyBy Energy CollectiveJul 19, 20265 min read

The COP21 climate summit venue and pavilions at Le Bourget, near Paris

Coming to Terms with the Paris Agreement: What It Means for Our Planet

The Paris Agreement represents a significant shift in how countries approach climate change globally. This landmark accord establishes a system where nations commit to specific climate…

Energy PolicyBy Energy CollectiveFeb 27, 20253 min read