Costa Samaras
@costasamaras.com
Climate, energy, emerging tech, resilience, & policy professor. Carnegie Mellon Univ. Institute for Energy Innovation Director. Former Biden-Harris White House OSTP Chief Advisor for the Clean Energy Transition. Personal account. He/Him. costasamaras.com
Pinned
Costa Samaras
@costasamaras.com
· Jan 21
If you’re new to Bluesky, welcome. A starter pack is an easy way to find folks to follow. Want to know what all these new energy regulations mean for your wallet, your lungs, and the climate? Here are my computer friends who work on climate: go.bsky.app/Aa1sErQ
Reposted by Costa Samaras
“It’s expensive, it’s outdated, and it just puts us at risk,” said Erin Sikorsky,
director of the Center for Climate & Security at The Council on Strategic Risks. “Coal is just going backwards, not forwards, for the Department of Defense.”
director of the Center for Climate & Security at The Council on Strategic Risks. “Coal is just going backwards, not forwards, for the Department of Defense.”
Trump Will Order Defense Department to Buy Coal Power - Inside Climate News
Climate and security experts say the plan is outdated and could place the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage.
insideclimatenews.org
February 11, 2026 at 6:01 AM
“It’s expensive, it’s outdated, and it just puts us at risk,” said Erin Sikorsky,
director of the Center for Climate & Security at The Council on Strategic Risks. “Coal is just going backwards, not forwards, for the Department of Defense.”
director of the Center for Climate & Security at The Council on Strategic Risks. “Coal is just going backwards, not forwards, for the Department of Defense.”
I can hear it. Perfection.
February 11, 2026 at 5:30 AM
I can hear it. Perfection.
Reposted by Costa Samaras
I don't have words for this, my heart
A dresser inside a museum in New York City has been discovered as a secret stop on the Underground Railroad — the first of its kind discovered in Manhattan in over 100 years
February 11, 2026 at 3:59 AM
I don't have words for this, my heart
Senator, I believe the title of that report was called www.rand.org/pubs/researc...
Capabilities-Based Planning Can Enhance Energy Security at DoD Installations
Energy security strategies are needed because DoD installations rely on the U.S. commercial electricity grid which is vulnerable to disruption from natural hazards and actor-induced outages, such as p...
www.rand.org
February 11, 2026 at 4:20 AM
Senator, I believe the title of that report was called www.rand.org/pubs/researc...
There are only a handful of coal plants that directly power U.S. military installations: Eielson Air Force Base & Fort Wainwright, both in Alaska. But this isn’t about energy security at installations, it’s about intervening into the market for electricity & propping up uncompetitive coal resources.
Trump to direct Pentagon to buy coal to revive industry, Bloomberg News says reut.rs/46vkQiO
Trump to direct Pentagon to buy coal to revive industry, Bloomberg News says
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to direct the Pentagon to use government funding and Pentagon contracts to sustain U.S. coal-fired power plants, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing a White House official.
reut.rs
February 11, 2026 at 4:17 AM
There are only a handful of coal plants that directly power U.S. military installations: Eielson Air Force Base & Fort Wainwright, both in Alaska. But this isn’t about energy security at installations, it’s about intervening into the market for electricity & propping up uncompetitive coal resources.
The National Labs are part of the foundation of U.S. science and innovation. They should be strengthened, not gutted.
NEW: There's been another round of layoffs at the lab formerly known as NREL.
Weeks after scrubbing “renewable energy” from its name, the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden has cut 134 staffers.
www.cpr.org/2026/02/09/n...
Weeks after scrubbing “renewable energy” from its name, the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden has cut 134 staffers.
www.cpr.org/2026/02/09/n...
National Lab of the Rockies, formerly NREL, lays off more than 130 employees
The cuts impacted staffers engaged in both research and operations at the lab.
www.cpr.org
February 10, 2026 at 5:08 AM
The National Labs are part of the foundation of U.S. science and innovation. They should be strengthened, not gutted.
The National: [cracks knuckles, tunes instruments]
February 10, 2026 at 4:32 AM
The National: [cracks knuckles, tunes instruments]
love all my fellow nerds but I'm using IRA here is a generic stand-in for a big policy swing, not a specific future approach necessarily focused on revenue and credits because of reconciliation. It was great btw, the next five will be much better.
February 10, 2026 at 4:24 AM
love all my fellow nerds but I'm using IRA here is a generic stand-in for a big policy swing, not a specific future approach necessarily focused on revenue and credits because of reconciliation. It was great btw, the next five will be much better.
thanks- I like to think about bigger expenses in terms of the annual budget of the EPA: $9B or NASA: $25B. bsky.app/profile/cost...
If we can magically find $12B for an agriculture bailout caused because of made up tariffs, we can find funding for trains, libraries, & clean energy. Btw the annual budget of the EPA is $9B. The whole thing! About the same with the National Science Foundation. Cut bad stuff, triple good stuff.
Not only can the country absolutely afford to do a lot more good things that help people– in housing, healthcare, infrastructure, and environment– there is no reason not to do it. Pretty simple: We should do big things that help people and not do things that hurt people. bsky.app/profile/cost...
February 10, 2026 at 4:17 AM
thanks- I like to think about bigger expenses in terms of the annual budget of the EPA: $9B or NASA: $25B. bsky.app/profile/cost...
“I hope we don’t blow it. I don’t know when or if this opportunity will come around again.”
Here's the thing: it won't
IRAs 2 through 7 just got $1 trillion larger
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
Here's the thing: it won't
IRAs 2 through 7 just got $1 trillion larger
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
Trump Allies Near ‘Total Victory’ in Wiping Out U.S. Climate Regulation
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:10 AM
“I hope we don’t blow it. I don’t know when or if this opportunity will come around again.”
Here's the thing: it won't
IRAs 2 through 7 just got $1 trillion larger
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
Here's the thing: it won't
IRAs 2 through 7 just got $1 trillion larger
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
loser stuff www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
Trump Allies Near ‘Total Victory’ in Wiping Out U.S. Climate Regulation
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:08 AM
loser stuff www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
I just want an affordable electric kei truck or small pickup truck and an e-bike and to take a train between nearby cities in a reasonable time frame sometimes bsky.app/profile/cost...
Now is the moment for GM to introduce an electric Geo Tracker and sell a million units this year
February 10, 2026 at 3:21 AM
I just want an affordable electric kei truck or small pickup truck and an e-bike and to take a train between nearby cities in a reasonable time frame sometimes bsky.app/profile/cost...
tapping the sign
Remember when musk said he was going to make a robot and they brought out a person dressed as a robot doing jazz hands dancing? This video always makes me laugh hysterically. youtu.be/TsNc4nEX3c4?...
February 10, 2026 at 3:11 AM
tapping the sign
that's a great strategy, will try that!
February 10, 2026 at 3:06 AM
that's a great strategy, will try that!
This is sickening. For comparison, this is more than the Department of Energy spent for all solar power and wind power R&D for the whole country.
ICE has now spent over half a BILLION dollars just on purchasing warehouses around the country to convert into detention camps.
If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
ICE to begin detaining immigrants inside Social Circle warehouse in April
Homeland Security plans to build warehouse detention facilities in other cities being met with opposition.
www.ajc.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:04 AM
This is sickening. For comparison, this is more than the Department of Energy spent for all solar power and wind power R&D for the whole country.
we're going to win btw
February 10, 2026 at 2:56 AM
we're going to win btw
[starting to smell something cooking] The Rock is that true
[being told by an ai chatbot that my behavior is “highly illogical”] Spock is that true
[being told by an ai chatbot what time it is] clock is that true
February 10, 2026 at 2:48 AM
[starting to smell something cooking] The Rock is that true
folks who go over time in conference presentations is sicko stuff, and I won't allow it in my panels.
February 10, 2026 at 2:45 AM
folks who go over time in conference presentations is sicko stuff, and I won't allow it in my panels.
Reposted by Costa Samaras
No excuses
If Bad Bunny can cover the history of Puerto Rico, colonialism, transatlantic slavery, hemispheric consciousness, as well as contemporary life and politics in under 14 minutes, you can do your 15- or 20-minute conference presentation with time to spare.
February 10, 2026 at 2:40 AM
No excuses
Reposted by Costa Samaras
one thing that has always confused me about these hypos where the House refuses to recognize Dem winners—the House isn't a continuing body, and it wouldn't be the current House that would be seating anyone. it's the incoming House. www.vox.com/politics/478...
February 10, 2026 at 12:44 AM
one thing that has always confused me about these hypos where the House refuses to recognize Dem winners—the House isn't a continuing body, and it wouldn't be the current House that would be seating anyone. it's the incoming House. www.vox.com/politics/478...
The first and only thing he should be known for and remembered for. It should be the only thing he's ever asked about.
This is on Musk and he should be held accountable.
HORRIFYING -
Dismantling USAID & cancelling >80% of aid caused ~750,000 deaths by mid-2025
🧸Most were children
⌛️ Many died within the first year
😰 Preventable deaths were mainly from:
- HIV, TB, malaria
- Maternal & fetal deaths
- Malnutrition
news.westernu.ca/2026/01/u-s-...
Dismantling USAID & cancelling >80% of aid caused ~750,000 deaths by mid-2025
🧸Most were children
⌛️ Many died within the first year
😰 Preventable deaths were mainly from:
- HIV, TB, malaria
- Maternal & fetal deaths
- Malnutrition
news.westernu.ca/2026/01/u-s-...
February 10, 2026 at 2:35 AM
The first and only thing he should be known for and remembered for. It should be the only thing he's ever asked about.
Reposted by Costa Samaras
This is on Musk and he should be held accountable.
HORRIFYING -
Dismantling USAID & cancelling >80% of aid caused ~750,000 deaths by mid-2025
🧸Most were children
⌛️ Many died within the first year
😰 Preventable deaths were mainly from:
- HIV, TB, malaria
- Maternal & fetal deaths
- Malnutrition
news.westernu.ca/2026/01/u-s-...
Dismantling USAID & cancelling >80% of aid caused ~750,000 deaths by mid-2025
🧸Most were children
⌛️ Many died within the first year
😰 Preventable deaths were mainly from:
- HIV, TB, malaria
- Maternal & fetal deaths
- Malnutrition
news.westernu.ca/2026/01/u-s-...
Expert insight: U.S. withdrawal from WHO could affect global health - Western News
History professor Mitchell L. Hammond explains how the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization could affect global health and disease threats.
news.westernu.ca
February 10, 2026 at 1:35 AM
This is on Musk and he should be held accountable.