Emily Pontecorvo
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emilypont.bsky.social
Emily Pontecorvo
@emilypont.bsky.social
13K followers 1.1K following 380 posts
Staff writer @heatmap.news | signal: emilypont.89
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emilypont.bsky.social
2025 was bleak but someday we will have fusion at sea and SMRs underground heatmap.news/climate-tech...
The Wackiest Climate Tech Bets of 2025
Because you never know what’s going to take off.
heatmap.news
December 31, 2025 at 4:49 AM
emilypont.bsky.social
Day in the double-life of superstar @jael.bsky.social
🙇🏻‍♀️
December 31, 2025 at 4:39 AM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
jael.bsky.social
it’s probably really important for anyone reading about the offshore wind stuff today to know the military already spent many years addressing these issues and those reviews are well documented, can be filed in court
December 22, 2025 at 4:55 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
Its not just energy demand putting pressure on utility bills. Many states and utilities are implementing wildfire mitigation and preparedness plans representing hundreds of millions in costs that "won’t hit utility customers for years," @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social writes. heatmap.news/energy/wildf...
A Wildfire Is Coming for Electricity Bills
Forget data centers. Fire is going to make electricity much more expensive in the western United States.
heatmap.news
December 22, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
colinreports.bsky.social
⚠️ It’s official! New York has repealed the “100-foot rule” subsidy for new gas hookups, joining five other states that have ended similar subsidies.

Statement from Hochul:
GOVERNOR HOCHUL SIGNS LEGISLATION TO ELIMINATE UNFAIR UTILITY SUBSIDY THAT PASSES THE BUCK FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL GAS HOOKUPS TO ALL CUSTOMERS Legislation S.8417/A.8888 Will Do Away With Outdated 100-Foot Rule for Natural Gas Hookups That Cost New Yorkers Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Each Year Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation to eliminate the “100-foot-rule” for new natural gas hookups that costs New Yorkers hundreds of millions of dollars a year. “It’s simply unfair, especially when so many people are struggling right now, to expect existing utility ratepayers to foot the bill for a gas hookup at a brand new house that is not their own,” Governor Hochul said. “I have made affordability a top priority and doing away with this 40-year-old subsidy that has outlived its purpose will help with that.” Each year, New Yorkers spend hundreds of millions of dollars on connecting new homes to the gas system. Currently, all existing ratepayers of a utility subsidize the first 100 feet of new gas lines. Under legislation S.8417/A.8888 signed by Governor Hochul, new applicants must pay 100 percent of the material and installation costs for gas service, as opposed to other ratepayers. State Senator Liz Krueger said, “Kathy Hochul just gave New Yorkers a $600 million Christmas present by signing our bill to repeal the 100-foot rule. This is a massive win for New York’s gas customers, and for clean air and a livable climate. In recent years the 100-ft rule has forced all ratepayers to subsidize gas hookups for new customers and a tidy profit for utility shareholders, at a cost of $600 million every year, which compounds many times as it is paid off on gas bills for years down the road. That burden on New Yorkers will now be lifted.” Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon said, “This is a victory for hard-working New Yorkers, our wallets, and our climate. Utility companies have had a blank check to expand polluting gas infrastructure and pass those co…
December 19, 2025 at 9:04 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
The House passed the SPEED Act today, which would make sweeping changes to NEPA. But a last minute tweak to safeguard Trump's meddling with previously-approved renewable energy projects pissed a lot of people off.

A Senate deal won't be easy. heatmap.news/sparks/speed...
The House Just Passed Permitting Reform. Now Comes the Hard Part.
The SPEED Act faces near-certain opposition in the Senate.
heatmap.news
December 18, 2025 at 10:29 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
Japanese investors getting into DAC
heatmap.news/carbon-remov...
DAC Is Struggling in America, But It’s Big in Japan
With new corporate emissions restrictions looming, Japanese investors are betting on carbon removal.
heatmap.news
December 17, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
zhirji.bsky.social
“To shutter this facility is, frankly, a national security risk,” Kim Cobb told @bloomberg.com about NCAR, given its cutting-edge work on extreme weather and across fields including machine learning and AI.

Story w/ @eroston.bsky.social @willwwade.bsky.social: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump Administration Aims to Dismantle Key Climate Research Hub
The US plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a key climate-science hub in Boulder, Colorado, which the Trump administration says strayed from its mission decades ago by taki...
www.bloomberg.com
December 17, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
alexwitze.bsky.social
Here's our reporting on the proposed dismantling of the jewel of US atmospheric science, @ncar-ucar.bsky.social.

The plan is to break NCAR apart and disburse some parts to other locations (like the research aircraft fleet) and eliminate others.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

🧪 #AGU25 #climate
Trump team plans to break up ‘global mothership’ of climate science
Much of the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s non-climate portfolio will be dispersed, the White House says.
www.nature.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:59 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
Fascinating new developments in geologic hydrogen from @kbrigham.bsky.social
heatmap.news/climate-tech...
There’s a New Color for Hydrogen: Orange
The startup Vema just signed a new offtake agreement to provide 36,000 tons of orange hydrogen per year for data centers.
heatmap.news
December 16, 2025 at 2:37 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
New "foreign entity of concern" clean energy tax credit restrictions will kick in Jan 1, but the Trump admin has still not published guidance that was due in August, so nobody really knows yet what they'll need to do to adhere to them.
heatmap.news/politics/feo...
Trump’s Missing Tax Rules
The president set an August deadline to deliver guidance for companies trying to qualifying for clean energy tax credits. Four months later — and two weeks before new rules are set to kick in — they’r...
heatmap.news
December 15, 2025 at 11:04 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
ugh so many long features pubbed in the last week open in tabs on my browser hope i have time to read them eventually
December 15, 2025 at 6:15 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
Out: bans on natural gas hookups or appliances
In: bans on central air conditioners that can't do heating

Once again, California is testing it out first.
heatmap.news/politics/cal...
California’s Latest Climate Gambit: Turn Air Conditioners Into Heat Pumps
Cities across the state are adopting building codes that heavily incentivize homeowners to make the switch.
heatmap.news
December 11, 2025 at 2:03 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
CBAM is coming Jan 1. Get caught up:
www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...
Europe’s world-first carbon tariff is coming. Here’s what to know.
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is part of a broader effort to decarbonize heavy industries in Europe and globally. It takes full effect Jan.…
www.canarymedia.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
kbrigham.bsky.social
relatedly: heatmap.news/climate-tech...
December 9, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
jtemple.bsky.social
I did a lengthy interview with the CEO of Stardust, in which he walked back the solar geoengineering startup's testing and deployment plans a bit. The company also intends to release details about its proprietary particles early next year and expects to open a US office soon.
How one controversial startup hopes to cool the planet
And why many scientists are freaked out about the first serious for-profit company moving into the solar geoengineering field.
www.technologyreview.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
waiterich.bsky.social
Just remembered this other classic from 2005 😭
December 10, 2025 at 12:29 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
New: Key Senate Democrats told @jael.bsky.social they want a permitting deal that supports transmission and clean energy, and that the current House proposal, the SPEED Act, "does not meet that standard."
heatmap.news/politics/sch...
Exclusive: Key Senate Democrats Oppose Permitting Bill
A trio of powerful climate hawks are throwing their weight against the SPEED Act.
heatmap.news
December 9, 2025 at 10:53 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
Hello! Do you have a friend or family member (a boomer in your life, perhaps?) who was looking into #heatpumps 🔌⚡ and then wouldn't stop going on and on to you about the technology or trying to give you a physics lesson?

Please DM me or respond here, I would like to talk to you!
December 9, 2025 at 6:56 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
Permitting reform is back, and there's a lot of motivation on both sides to get a deal done — Trump's war on wind and solar, interest in AI leadership, energy affordability.

The debate is impenetrable as ever, so I wrote this guide to help you (and myself tbh) follow it heatmap.news/politics/per...
Permitting Reform is Back. What Are We Even Talking About This Time?
Get up to speed on the SPEED Act.
heatmap.news
December 5, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
jael.bsky.social
My colleague @emilypont.bsky.social wrote THE explainer on the big “permitting reform” bill Republicans are trying to pass this Congress

She really nails what the bill would do and why some cleantech people like it while many others really don’t

I highly encourage all wonks to read
Permitting Reform is Back. What Are We Even Talking About This Time?
Get up to speed on the SPEED Act.
heatmap.news
December 5, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
kbrigham.bsky.social
permitting reform is on the table once again. with the SPEED act expected to come to a vote on the house floor in the coming weeks, @emilypont.bsky.social breaks down where the debate stands this time around
Permitting Reform is Back. What Are We Even Talking About This Time?
Get up to speed on the SPEED Act.
heatmap.news
December 5, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
colinreports.bsky.social
I wrote this spring about an intriguing idea: Could utilities pay people to electrify their home with new appliances, instead of just swapping out old pipes? nysfocus.com/2025/03/10/n...

@emilypont.bsky.social profiled the woman who’s actually doing this, on her own, for ConEd. Wonderful piece:
Meet Con Edison’s One-Woman Electrification Show
Julie Liu is converting gas customers to heat pumps, one home at a time.
heatmap.news
December 3, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Reposted by Emily Pontecorvo
estellecantillon.bsky.social
Nice win-win way to phase-out gas: the utility identifies pipelines due for replacement. If it is cheaper to electrify all the buildings served by that pipeline than digging, they pay for electrification. In Belgium, we're still extending the gas network 🙁
emilypont.bsky.social Emily Pontecorvo @emilypont.bsky.social · Dec 3
My latest is a feature about Julie Liu, one of the most fascinating women I’ve had the privilege of interviewing. She basically invented the job of electrification contractor in NY, and is currently running all of ConEd’s whole-home retrofits. heatmap.news/energy/coned...
Meet Con Edison’s One-Woman Electrification Show
Julie Liu is converting gas customers to heat pumps, one home at a time.
heatmap.news
December 3, 2025 at 5:10 PM
emilypont.bsky.social
Maybe the most surprising part of this story was learning about the advantages of having utilities do building decarb work. It's not just the $$. There are higher installation standards and layers of accountability. heatmap.news/energy/coned...
December 3, 2025 at 5:14 PM