Jesse D. Jenkins
@jessedjenkins.com
Macro-energy systems engineering, optimization & policy. Associate professor at Princeton University. Leads the ZERO Lab. Co-hosts SHIFT KEY podcast. Time100 Next & TIME100 Climate honoree. More at linkedin.com/in/jessedjenkins & zero.lab.princeton.edu
Pinned
Jesse D. Jenkins
@jessedjenkins.com
· Oct 20
I recently co-founded Firma Power w/Scott Burger & Brent Alderfer, a new venture assembling portfolios of clean resources to deliver firm, load-enabling power to hyperscale data centers and other large loads.
World-class analytics is our edge, and we want YOU to join the team. 🔌💡
World-class analytics is our edge, and we want YOU to join the team. 🔌💡
I finally read the op ed. Matt Yglesias is right. (98% right at least, which is an A+ for a NYT op ed). Don't @ me. It's the holidays and I don't have the appetite. But Matty's position is pragmatic, substantively sound, and the only way we have a chance of making progress on climate in this moment.
December 24, 2025 at 1:00 PM
I finally read the op ed. Matt Yglesias is right. (98% right at least, which is an A+ for a NYT op ed). Don't @ me. It's the holidays and I don't have the appetite. But Matty's position is pragmatic, substantively sound, and the only way we have a chance of making progress on climate in this moment.
Reposted by Jesse D. Jenkins
New preprint up assessing the air quality and health benefits that could have been possible under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Huge effort here with Erin Mayfield, Jamil Farbes, @jessedjenkins.com, Ryan Jones, Tracey Holloway, and @jonathanpatz.bsky.social.
Huge effort here with Erin Mayfield, Jamil Farbes, @jessedjenkins.com, Ryan Jones, Tracey Holloway, and @jonathanpatz.bsky.social.
Air quality and health effects of U.S. energy transitions
Transitioning the U.S. energy system has the potential to improve public health by reducing ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure. We develop an integrated modeling framework, coupling ener...
zenodo.org
December 22, 2025 at 9:32 PM
New preprint up assessing the air quality and health benefits that could have been possible under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Huge effort here with Erin Mayfield, Jamil Farbes, @jessedjenkins.com, Ryan Jones, Tracey Holloway, and @jonathanpatz.bsky.social.
Huge effort here with Erin Mayfield, Jamil Farbes, @jessedjenkins.com, Ryan Jones, Tracey Holloway, and @jonathanpatz.bsky.social.
Reposted by Jesse D. Jenkins
There’s a lot of excitement about the growth of next-gen geothermal in the US.
But geothermal is *already* competing at price parity in Europe. On this week’s episode of Shift Key, @jessedjenkins.com and I chat with Mark Fitzgerald, the CEO of a geothermal firm that is now powering a German town:
But geothermal is *already* competing at price parity in Europe. On this week’s episode of Shift Key, @jessedjenkins.com and I chat with Mark Fitzgerald, the CEO of a geothermal firm that is now powering a German town:
Say ‘Guten Tag!’ to This New Kind of Geothermal Tech
Rob and Jesse catch up with Mark Fitzgerald, CEO of the closed-loop geothermal startup Eavor.
heatmap.news
December 17, 2025 at 6:21 PM
There’s a lot of excitement about the growth of next-gen geothermal in the US.
But geothermal is *already* competing at price parity in Europe. On this week’s episode of Shift Key, @jessedjenkins.com and I chat with Mark Fitzgerald, the CEO of a geothermal firm that is now powering a German town:
But geothermal is *already* competing at price parity in Europe. On this week’s episode of Shift Key, @jessedjenkins.com and I chat with Mark Fitzgerald, the CEO of a geothermal firm that is now powering a German town:
Reposted by Jesse D. Jenkins
NEW SHIFT KEY:
It's not every day we get to celebrate a successful first-of-its kind climate tech — but that's exactly what @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com did this week with Eavor's Mark Fitzgerald.
Listen (and rate and subscribe!) here:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
It's not every day we get to celebrate a successful first-of-its kind climate tech — but that's exactly what @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com did this week with Eavor's Mark Fitzgerald.
Listen (and rate and subscribe!) here:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Say ‘Guten Tag!’ to This New Kind of Geothermal Tech
Podcast Episode · Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins · 12/17/2025 · 44m
podcasts.apple.com
December 17, 2025 at 8:21 PM
NEW SHIFT KEY:
It's not every day we get to celebrate a successful first-of-its kind climate tech — but that's exactly what @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com did this week with Eavor's Mark Fitzgerald.
Listen (and rate and subscribe!) here:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
It's not every day we get to celebrate a successful first-of-its kind climate tech — but that's exactly what @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com did this week with Eavor's Mark Fitzgerald.
Listen (and rate and subscribe!) here:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Well, we've officially jumped the shark. This is probably the most bonkers real headline I've read in forever. Reads like an Onion satire. But no. This is real. www.wsj.com/business/dea... I want out of this branch of the metaverse...
Trump Media to Merge With Nuclear Fusion Firm in $6 Billion Deal
Shares in the president’s media company jumped premarket after it agreed to a tie-up with TAE Technologies in an all-stock deal.
www.wsj.com
December 18, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Well, we've officially jumped the shark. This is probably the most bonkers real headline I've read in forever. Reads like an Onion satire. But no. This is real. www.wsj.com/business/dea... I want out of this branch of the metaverse...
It's not every day we get to welcome a totally new clean energy technology into commercial operation. Today on Shift Key, we talk with Eavor Technologies CEO Mark Fitzgerald about how the company brought online the first-ever closed-loop geothermal heat & power project this month in Germany! 🔌💡
December 17, 2025 at 3:23 PM
It's not every day we get to welcome a totally new clean energy technology into commercial operation. Today on Shift Key, we talk with Eavor Technologies CEO Mark Fitzgerald about how the company brought online the first-ever closed-loop geothermal heat & power project this month in Germany! 🔌💡
A single Chinese state-owned company is buying more solar panels and wind turbines to deploy in 2026 than the entire US market is likely to build.
www.pv-magazine.com/2025/12/15/c...
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www.pv-magazine.com/2025/12/15/c...
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Chinese PV Industry Brief: PowerChina launches 31 GW solar procurement
China Power Construction Corp. (PowerChina) has launched a 31 GW solar module tender for 2026 projects, split across n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), heterojunction (HJT) and back-cont...
www.pv-magazine.com
December 15, 2025 at 10:23 PM
A single Chinese state-owned company is buying more solar panels and wind turbines to deploy in 2026 than the entire US market is likely to build.
www.pv-magazine.com/2025/12/15/c...
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www.pv-magazine.com/2025/12/15/c...
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US demands EU exempt its gas from methane emissions law until 2035, document shows share.google/cDYT3BTSwXw3...
This is why the US should not have canned EPA methane reg, and why most big gas players supported the regs. Lower US methane leaks = more globally competitive product
This is why the US should not have canned EPA methane reg, and why most big gas players supported the regs. Lower US methane leaks = more globally competitive product
US demands EU exempt its gas from methane emissions law, document shows
The U.S. has demanded that the European Union exempt its oil and gas from obligations under the bloc's methane emissions law on fuel imports until 2035, a U.S. government document seen by Reuters show...
share.google
December 15, 2025 at 10:23 PM
US demands EU exempt its gas from methane emissions law until 2035, document shows share.google/cDYT3BTSwXw3...
This is why the US should not have canned EPA methane reg, and why most big gas players supported the regs. Lower US methane leaks = more globally competitive product
This is why the US should not have canned EPA methane reg, and why most big gas players supported the regs. Lower US methane leaks = more globally competitive product
Silicon anodes are coming to market! Huge improvement in energy density (400 Wh/kg!) and charge rates (10 min rapid charging) for Li-ion batteries, and an alternative to graphite, which is almost all sourced from China now. This is one area where US could regain leadership in battery tech.
🔗⤵️ 🔌🚗 🔌💡
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December 9, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Silicon anodes are coming to market! Huge improvement in energy density (400 Wh/kg!) and charge rates (10 min rapid charging) for Li-ion batteries, and an alternative to graphite, which is almost all sourced from China now. This is one area where US could regain leadership in battery tech.
🔗⤵️ 🔌🚗 🔌💡
🔗⤵️ 🔌🚗 🔌💡
The US Department of Energy approved an $8.6 million grant that will allow the nation’s first utility-led geothermal heating and cooling network (in MA) to double in size. www.canarymedia.com/articles/uti... 🔌💡
First utility-owned geothermal network to double in size with DOE…
The $8.6 million grant for Eversource’s pioneering project in Framingham, Massachusetts, is a rare win for renewable energy under the Trump administration.
www.canarymedia.com
December 7, 2025 at 8:41 PM
The US Department of Energy approved an $8.6 million grant that will allow the nation’s first utility-led geothermal heating and cooling network (in MA) to double in size. www.canarymedia.com/articles/uti... 🔌💡
New Jersey's legislature is considering clarifying E-bikes as motorized vehicles requiring license, registration and insurance. That is nuts and would deny a huge range of people an ideal and affordable mobility solution. A terrible idea. share.google/HGvRZ77w9SqE... 🔌💡
Critics oppose plan for new e-bike regulations in NJ • New Jersey Monitor
Bike enthusiasts oppose a bill that would do away with the state's three-tier system for classifying electric and motorized bikes.
share.google
December 5, 2025 at 10:34 PM
New Jersey's legislature is considering clarifying E-bikes as motorized vehicles requiring license, registration and insurance. That is nuts and would deny a huge range of people an ideal and affordable mobility solution. A terrible idea. share.google/HGvRZ77w9SqE... 🔌💡
How batteries got cheaper and made power grids more reliable www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/b... #upshift 🔌💡
Once a Gamble in the Desert, Electric Grid Batteries Are Everywhere
www.nytimes.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:56 PM
How batteries got cheaper and made power grids more reliable www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/b... #upshift 🔌💡
A flexible approach with “bring-your-own-capacity” could connect data centers faster and save hundreds of millions in system supply costs, says a report from Camus, encoord and Princeton | Utility Dive share.google/9HgK3R5h3KYh... 🔌💡
Flexible connections and BYOC could reduce data center burden: report
A flexible approach with “bring-your-own-capacity” could connect data centers faster and save hundreds of millions in system supply costs, says a report from Camus, encoord and Princeton University’s ...
share.google
December 5, 2025 at 3:00 PM
A flexible approach with “bring-your-own-capacity” could connect data centers faster and save hundreds of millions in system supply costs, says a report from Camus, encoord and Princeton | Utility Dive share.google/9HgK3R5h3KYh... 🔌💡
Closed loop (Eavor) and enhanced geothermal (Fervo) technologies, both of which are now operating commercially, can expand geothermal from a gigawatt-scale resource available in just a few places to a terawatt-scale resource available practically everywhere! #Upshift
The WSJ reports on the historic news yesterday that Eavor has begun operations of the first commercial-scale multilateral closed loop geotherm power project in the world! It's not every day that a new power tech has its "world's first" moment. Don't miss this www.wsj.com/articles/a-g... 🔌💡
Exclusive | A Geothermal Company Wants to Use New Technology to Heat an Old German Town
A project in Bavaria is harnessing high temperatures from deep beneath the earth to provide a community with warmth in the winter and to power the local grid in the summer.
www.wsj.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Closed loop (Eavor) and enhanced geothermal (Fervo) technologies, both of which are now operating commercially, can expand geothermal from a gigawatt-scale resource available in just a few places to a terawatt-scale resource available practically everywhere! #Upshift
The WSJ reports on the historic news yesterday that Eavor has begun operations of the first commercial-scale multilateral closed loop geotherm power project in the world! It's not every day that a new power tech has its "world's first" moment. Don't miss this www.wsj.com/articles/a-g... 🔌💡
Exclusive | A Geothermal Company Wants to Use New Technology to Heat an Old German Town
A project in Bavaria is harnessing high temperatures from deep beneath the earth to provide a community with warmth in the winter and to power the local grid in the summer.
www.wsj.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:08 PM
The WSJ reports on the historic news yesterday that Eavor has begun operations of the first commercial-scale multilateral closed loop geotherm power project in the world! It's not every day that a new power tech has its "world's first" moment. Don't miss this www.wsj.com/articles/a-g... 🔌💡
DOE doled out $400 million each to Holtec and TVA today to advance deployment of "small" modular reactors through the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
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December 4, 2025 at 10:33 PM
DOE doled out $400 million each to Holtec and TVA today to advance deployment of "small" modular reactors through the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
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A huge milestone in new energy technology: as of today, Eavor Technologies is producing clean power (and heat) with the first commercial, utility-scale multilateral closed-loop geothermal project in the world! Congratulations to the whole Eavor team. More details via the link below. 🔌 💡
December 4, 2025 at 7:48 PM
A huge milestone in new energy technology: as of today, Eavor Technologies is producing clean power (and heat) with the first commercial, utility-scale multilateral closed-loop geothermal project in the world! Congratulations to the whole Eavor team. More details via the link below. 🔌 💡
Reposted by Jesse D. Jenkins
New on SHIFT KEY:
2025 has been a wild and wacky year for climate policy. What did @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com get right about what to expect — and what did they get wrong?
Listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
2025 has been a wild and wacky year for climate policy. What did @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com get right about what to expect — and what did they get wrong?
Listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
The Biggest Lessons of a Not-So-Great Year for Climate Policy
Podcast Episode · Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins · 12/03/2025 · 1h 1m
podcasts.apple.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:38 PM
New on SHIFT KEY:
2025 has been a wild and wacky year for climate policy. What did @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com get right about what to expect — and what did they get wrong?
Listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
2025 has been a wild and wacky year for climate policy. What did @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com get right about what to expect — and what did they get wrong?
Listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
This week on SHIFT KEY, it's 2025 Wrapped. How cold are our old hot takes? What did we get right and wrong on the biggest energy transition news stories of the year? Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
On this week’s episode of Shift Key, @jessedjenkins.com and I discuss our biggest lessons from a not-so-great year for climate policy. What we got right, what we got wrong, what we changed our minds about: heatmap.news/podcast/shif...
The Biggest Lessons of a Not-So-Great Year for Climate Policy
Jesse and Rob take stock of 2025.
heatmap.news
December 4, 2025 at 1:46 PM
This week on SHIFT KEY, it's 2025 Wrapped. How cold are our old hot takes? What did we get right and wrong on the biggest energy transition news stories of the year? Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
How do we connect data centers to the grid quickly and avoid driving up costs for other electricity consumers?
The solution: a 2-part combo of flexible interconnection agreements & bring-your-own-capacity (BYOC) arrangements, according to a new report out today from Camus, my ZERO Lab, and encoord.
The solution: a 2-part combo of flexible interconnection agreements & bring-your-own-capacity (BYOC) arrangements, according to a new report out today from Camus, my ZERO Lab, and encoord.
December 4, 2025 at 1:43 PM
How do we connect data centers to the grid quickly and avoid driving up costs for other electricity consumers?
The solution: a 2-part combo of flexible interconnection agreements & bring-your-own-capacity (BYOC) arrangements, according to a new report out today from Camus, my ZERO Lab, and encoord.
The solution: a 2-part combo of flexible interconnection agreements & bring-your-own-capacity (BYOC) arrangements, according to a new report out today from Camus, my ZERO Lab, and encoord.
The first batteries rolled off the production line at Toyota’s new $14 billion battery plant in Liberty, North Carolina. The plant will produce batteries for hybrid, plug-in hybrid & electric models, which Toyota plans to make up 70% of its sales by 2030 electrek.co/2025/11/17/t... 🔌💡 🔌🚗
Toyota's 1,850-acre EV battery plant is live, but the company says this is just the start
Toyota’s $14 billion US battery plant is now up and running. The mega site spans 1,850 acres, or about 121...
electrek.co
November 25, 2025 at 4:11 PM
The first batteries rolled off the production line at Toyota’s new $14 billion battery plant in Liberty, North Carolina. The plant will produce batteries for hybrid, plug-in hybrid & electric models, which Toyota plans to make up 70% of its sales by 2030 electrek.co/2025/11/17/t... 🔌💡 🔌🚗
Reposted by Jesse D. Jenkins
Very interesting episode of the Shift Key podcast on what AI boom is doing to clean energy and what might happen if it is a bubble that leaves bankrupt data center companies and potentially unused grid capacity.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
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podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
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How Clean Energy Could Prepare for an AI Bubble
Podcast Episode · Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins · 11/19/2025 · 1h 19m
podcasts.apple.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Very interesting episode of the Shift Key podcast on what AI boom is doing to clean energy and what might happen if it is a bubble that leaves bankrupt data center companies and potentially unused grid capacity.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
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podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
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Nuclear reactor developer X-Energy closed a $700m funding round, bringing its total haul over the past 13 months to $1.4b, as it races to bring online a new reactor design and fulfill offtake agreements with Amazon, Dow etc. www.ft.com/content/59d9... 🔌💡
Amazon’s X-energy gets backing from Jane Street as investors bet big on nuclear
Reactor developer closes fundraising round as markets expect atomic energy will power the AI boom
www.ft.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Nuclear reactor developer X-Energy closed a $700m funding round, bringing its total haul over the past 13 months to $1.4b, as it races to bring online a new reactor design and fulfill offtake agreements with Amazon, Dow etc. www.ft.com/content/59d9... 🔌💡
First Solar just opened a $1.1 billion integrated solar PV manufacturing plant in Louisiana capable of producing 3.5 gigawatts of panels each year. The plant will employ >700 people electrek.co/2025/11/21/f... 🔌💡
First Solar opens a Louisiana factory that’s 11 Superdomes big
First Solar opens a massive $1.1 billion solar factory in Louisiana, adding 3.5 GW of new US capacity and more than 800 well-paid jobs.
electrek.co
November 22, 2025 at 7:31 PM
First Solar just opened a $1.1 billion integrated solar PV manufacturing plant in Louisiana capable of producing 3.5 gigawatts of panels each year. The plant will employ >700 people electrek.co/2025/11/21/f... 🔌💡
Reposted by Jesse D. Jenkins
On this week's SHIFT KEY:
@robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com wonk out with @advaitarun.bsky.social about project financing for data centers. Is it a bubble? And if so, what will that mean for clean energy?
Listen to find out:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
@robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com wonk out with @advaitarun.bsky.social about project financing for data centers. Is it a bubble? And if so, what will that mean for clean energy?
Listen to find out:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
How Clean Energy Could Prepare for an AI Bubble
Podcast Episode · Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins · 11/19/2025 · 1h 19m
podcasts.apple.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:03 PM
On this week's SHIFT KEY:
@robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com wonk out with @advaitarun.bsky.social about project financing for data centers. Is it a bubble? And if so, what will that mean for clean energy?
Listen to find out:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
@robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com wonk out with @advaitarun.bsky.social about project financing for data centers. Is it a bubble? And if so, what will that mean for clean energy?
Listen to find out:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...