Josh Lappen
@jlappen1.bsky.social
energy historian | postdoc at Notre Dame, PhD at Oxford | infrastructure, decarbonization, and landscapes | Angeleno | always on the lookout for a good fun fact
views my own, at best
views my own, at best
Pinned
Fossil energy minimum viable scale
Unseen infrastructural threats to safety and decarbonization may arise as fossil energy systems are phased out
www.science.org
New from @gruberte.bsky.social and I in @science.org: The energy transition is at risk, and energy models are missing the threat. Fossil energy networks from oil to coal to gas have minimum viable scales of operation, and those thresholds are closer than we think:
www.science.org/doi/epdf/10....
💡🔌
www.science.org/doi/epdf/10....
💡🔌
"wires are expensive - use fewer of them when you can" was one of Thomas Edison's core business observations. Still true!
heatmap.news/electric-veh...
heatmap.news/electric-veh...
Why EV-Makers Are Suddenly Obsessed With Wires
Batteries can only get so small so fast. But there’s more than one way to get weight out of an electric car.
heatmap.news
February 18, 2026 at 11:23 PM
"wires are expensive - use fewer of them when you can" was one of Thomas Edison's core business observations. Still true!
heatmap.news/electric-veh...
heatmap.news/electric-veh...
Long past time for a Federal Archival Corps (or sure, Federal Archival Bureau if you're a government acronym nut) to build local skills and strengthen communities' connections to their history by rescuing, conserving, and handing off endangered archives. This is the fabric of democracy.
“In 2019, as [Gannett] began fully moving operations out of the bldg, the entire collection—by then scattered across the basement—was suddenly in limbo… The Poughkeepsie Public Library stepped in, agreed to pay rent on a dedicated storage unit + took on physical custodianship of the archive…”
The Poughkeepsie Journal Photo Morgue and the Fight to Save Local History
The Poughkeepsie Journal photo morgue holds decades of unpublished images. Artists, scholars, and librarians are fighting to keep it from disappearing.
www.chronogram.com
February 18, 2026 at 5:44 AM
Long past time for a Federal Archival Corps (or sure, Federal Archival Bureau if you're a government acronym nut) to build local skills and strengthen communities' connections to their history by rescuing, conserving, and handing off endangered archives. This is the fabric of democracy.
Reposted by Josh Lappen
Natural gas explosion destroys church in Boonsville, NY, critically injures 5 people including fire chief. Very sad. And a reminder that gas is very dangerous.
cnycentral.com/news/local/r...
cnycentral.com/news/local/r...
Fire chief, four others critically injured in 'catastrophic' explosion at Boonville church
Emergency crews responded to a report of a gas and odor explosion at Abundant Life Church in Boonville, Oneida County, N.Y.
cnycentral.com
February 17, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Natural gas explosion destroys church in Boonsville, NY, critically injures 5 people including fire chief. Very sad. And a reminder that gas is very dangerous.
cnycentral.com/news/local/r...
cnycentral.com/news/local/r...
There's enough of this in one newspaper in one state in one day for a thread, so let's do it. Impunity for the wealthy has become such a background condition that it generally goes unremarked. Come find your issue and start agitating!
Restore The Rule of Law in California: A Thread
Restore The Rule of Law in California: A Thread
Great news, but this flagrant lawbreaking is going to get more and more common, and the case history here suggests CA isn't ready. The state paid for this closure, even though it's AllenCo's legal obligation. CA can sue to recover those costs, but afaik hasn't. Why?
www.latimes.com/environment/...
www.latimes.com/environment/...
Notoriously hazardous South L.A. oil wells finally plugged after decades of community pressure
A two-acre Los Angeles oil drill site near the St. Vincent Elementary School in University Park, had been releasing noxious fumes for years. Finally, the wells have been shut down.
www.latimes.com
February 17, 2026 at 8:26 PM
There's enough of this in one newspaper in one state in one day for a thread, so let's do it. Impunity for the wealthy has become such a background condition that it generally goes unremarked. Come find your issue and start agitating!
Restore The Rule of Law in California: A Thread
Restore The Rule of Law in California: A Thread
Reposted by Josh Lappen
the recording of today's episode of THE RIFT is now online, in which @gruberte.bsky.social and @jlappen1.bsky.social deliver a fascinating conversation on their new paper, what getting off of fossil fuels actually entails, and the hard work of energy transition: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Episode 27: Managing the Decline of Fossil Fuels with Emily Grubert and Joshua Lappen
Podcast Episode · The Rift · 02/15/2026 · 55m
podcasts.apple.com
February 15, 2026 at 11:32 PM
the recording of today's episode of THE RIFT is now online, in which @gruberte.bsky.social and @jlappen1.bsky.social deliver a fascinating conversation on their new paper, what getting off of fossil fuels actually entails, and the hard work of energy transition: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Reposted by Josh Lappen
@californiapuc.bsky.social should never have let gas utilities propose pumping hydrogen into gas pipelines in the first place. Its a costly ineffectual boondoggle that distracts focus from helping communities realize the health and safety benefits of electrification.
www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...
www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...
Contributor: Blending hydrogen into gas pipelines would enrich utilities and harm Californians
Experiments with natural gas pipelines are only a stalling tactic and profit grab that will prolong pollution. The real solution is to go electric.
www.latimes.com
February 17, 2026 at 5:52 PM
@californiapuc.bsky.social should never have let gas utilities propose pumping hydrogen into gas pipelines in the first place. Its a costly ineffectual boondoggle that distracts focus from helping communities realize the health and safety benefits of electrification.
www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...
www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...
Reposted by Josh Lappen
HRALTH BOARD: I need a building both large and complicated and not entirely suitable for the use I intend to put it to, which I haven't decided yet
ARCHITECT: [grabbing pen] I have been waiting my whole life for this moment
ARCHITECT: Quick question, how wedded are you to the rain being 'outside'
ARCHITECT: [grabbing pen] I have been waiting my whole life for this moment
ARCHITECT: Quick question, how wedded are you to the rain being 'outside'
February 17, 2026 at 1:29 PM
HRALTH BOARD: I need a building both large and complicated and not entirely suitable for the use I intend to put it to, which I haven't decided yet
ARCHITECT: [grabbing pen] I have been waiting my whole life for this moment
ARCHITECT: Quick question, how wedded are you to the rain being 'outside'
ARCHITECT: [grabbing pen] I have been waiting my whole life for this moment
ARCHITECT: Quick question, how wedded are you to the rain being 'outside'
Great news, but this flagrant lawbreaking is going to get more and more common, and the case history here suggests CA isn't ready. The state paid for this closure, even though it's AllenCo's legal obligation. CA can sue to recover those costs, but afaik hasn't. Why?
www.latimes.com/environment/...
www.latimes.com/environment/...
Notoriously hazardous South L.A. oil wells finally plugged after decades of community pressure
A two-acre Los Angeles oil drill site near the St. Vincent Elementary School in University Park, had been releasing noxious fumes for years. Finally, the wells have been shut down.
www.latimes.com
February 17, 2026 at 12:39 AM
Great news, but this flagrant lawbreaking is going to get more and more common, and the case history here suggests CA isn't ready. The state paid for this closure, even though it's AllenCo's legal obligation. CA can sue to recover those costs, but afaik hasn't. Why?
www.latimes.com/environment/...
www.latimes.com/environment/...
Reposted by Josh Lappen
I really need these headlines to stop being like IT’S ILLEGAL TO REGULATE GHGS NOW instead of what’s actually going on, which is that we’re no longer required to consider them in scope of a 56 year old law that didn’t contemplate climate change as an issue
February 14, 2026 at 2:38 AM
I really need these headlines to stop being like IT’S ILLEGAL TO REGULATE GHGS NOW instead of what’s actually going on, which is that we’re no longer required to consider them in scope of a 56 year old law that didn’t contemplate climate change as an issue
Reposted by Josh Lappen
“I don't see any plan, any strategy, any end game,” says Pat Parenteau, a professor of environmental law at the University of Vermont. “I don't see anything from this administration, just fuck everything up as much as you can. You can print that.”
The Trump administration has revoked the key rule allowing the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases. What's next? A big, stupid mess, reports @mollytaft.com:
The Fight Over US Climate Rules Is Just Beginning
As the EPA moves to roll back the endangerment finding, which allows it to regulate greenhouse gases, experts predict uncertainty for business and a protracted legal fight.
www.wired.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:29 PM
“I don't see any plan, any strategy, any end game,” says Pat Parenteau, a professor of environmental law at the University of Vermont. “I don't see anything from this administration, just fuck everything up as much as you can. You can print that.”
Reposted by Josh Lappen
The end of privately run gas stations? New Science paper by @jlappen1.bsky.social & Emily Grubert lays out a future in which “electric transportation is becoming the market leader, but gasoline still has a share, albeit a declining one”: @dangearino.bsky.social insideclimatenews.org/news/0502202...
Looking Ahead to When Gas Stations Vanish - Inside Climate News
Leaders should plan for declining demand that will undermine the viability of fossil fuel businesses. New research says it could happen sooner than we think.
insideclimatenews.org
February 11, 2026 at 5:11 PM
The end of privately run gas stations? New Science paper by @jlappen1.bsky.social & Emily Grubert lays out a future in which “electric transportation is becoming the market leader, but gasoline still has a share, albeit a declining one”: @dangearino.bsky.social insideclimatenews.org/news/0502202...
Reposted by Josh Lappen
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.
The rare skill of Remembering That the Enemy of Your Enemy Does Not in Fact Necessarily Have To Be Your Friend - a skill almost unheard of on this website! - gets more important every day
"worst person you know" guy is so busy these days
Exxon is dropping law firm Paul Weiss, whose chair just resigned after his ties to Epstein were exposed, from representing the company in at least four climate lawsuits.
The firm also cut a deal with the Trump administration last year: www.exxonknews.org/p/exxons-law...
The firm also cut a deal with the Trump administration last year: www.exxonknews.org/p/exxons-law...
February 10, 2026 at 12:56 AM
The rare skill of Remembering That the Enemy of Your Enemy Does Not in Fact Necessarily Have To Be Your Friend - a skill almost unheard of on this website! - gets more important every day
Reposted by Josh Lappen
We need to stop referring to these people as centrist Democrats. They are advancing a right-wing agenda and should be referred to as such.
NEW: The “centrist” Abundance think tank pushing Democrats toward deregulation is run by a registered corporate lobbyist for OpenAI, Larry Ellison’s Oracle, and a crypto think tank.
February 9, 2026 at 6:32 PM
We need to stop referring to these people as centrist Democrats. They are advancing a right-wing agenda and should be referred to as such.
One agenda item for my dream comprehensive government-run legal code repository (we could call it a Government Printing Office, or something like that?):
Use goddamn tabs in the goddamn codes so people don't go insane trying to track how provisions nest!
Use goddamn tabs in the goddamn codes so people don't go insane trying to track how provisions nest!
February 9, 2026 at 11:08 PM
One agenda item for my dream comprehensive government-run legal code repository (we could call it a Government Printing Office, or something like that?):
Use goddamn tabs in the goddamn codes so people don't go insane trying to track how provisions nest!
Use goddamn tabs in the goddamn codes so people don't go insane trying to track how provisions nest!
Reposted by Josh Lappen
I'm proud to announce that I have defended my finance dissertation and that this summer I will become an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Texas at Austin! Most of all, I would like to thank Roberta Romano, whose JD-PhD program in finance changed my career.
February 9, 2026 at 8:46 PM
I'm proud to announce that I have defended my finance dissertation and that this summer I will become an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Texas at Austin! Most of all, I would like to thank Roberta Romano, whose JD-PhD program in finance changed my career.
CA's climate+air regulators present their support of Tesla as the only way to decarbonize freight - but they're ignoring the state's freight rail system, which could take a huge bite out of the problem at a fraction the cost, while supporting passenger rail infrastructure!
h/t @niedermeyer.online
h/t @niedermeyer.online
"Nevertheless, the reservation of vouchers effectively limited access to funding for other manufacturers with production-ready electric trucks, as HVIP operates on a first-come, first-served basis and funding rounds are typically oversubscribed within days."
Always frustrating.
Always frustrating.
$165m at stake: California backs Tesla Semi before series production - electrive.com
California’s clean-truck incentive programme has reserved around $165 million for the Tesla Semi, even though the electric truck has yet to enter series
www.electrive.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:24 PM
CA's climate+air regulators present their support of Tesla as the only way to decarbonize freight - but they're ignoring the state's freight rail system, which could take a huge bite out of the problem at a fraction the cost, while supporting passenger rail infrastructure!
h/t @niedermeyer.online
h/t @niedermeyer.online
Reposted by Josh Lappen
“In 2020, 3% of all TB in the U.S. occurred among incarcerated people—about four times the rate you would expect based on population demographics—and 327 people were diagnosed with TB in ICE custody.”
Public health scholar Katharine S. Walter on the role prisons play in fueling the spread of TB:
Public health scholar Katharine S. Walter on the role prisons play in fueling the spread of TB:
February 9, 2026 at 6:11 PM
“In 2020, 3% of all TB in the U.S. occurred among incarcerated people—about four times the rate you would expect based on population demographics—and 327 people were diagnosed with TB in ICE custody.”
Public health scholar Katharine S. Walter on the role prisons play in fueling the spread of TB:
Public health scholar Katharine S. Walter on the role prisons play in fueling the spread of TB:
Reposted by Josh Lappen
Uh oh, you scrolled too far, too greedily, too deep: you have encountered a balrog.
November 12, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Uh oh, you scrolled too far, too greedily, too deep: you have encountered a balrog.
I think many "rate affordability" objections are actually tacit arguments against public services. So I loved hearing the new GM of MWD point out that the biggest thing MWD can do on affordability is remind citizens that tap water is safer, more reliable, and much cheaper than bottled!
February 7, 2026 at 12:56 AM
I think many "rate affordability" objections are actually tacit arguments against public services. So I loved hearing the new GM of MWD point out that the biggest thing MWD can do on affordability is remind citizens that tap water is safer, more reliable, and much cheaper than bottled!
Reposted by Josh Lappen
When I read about the paper, I was primarily thinking about the gas pipeline network death spiral for heating.
But gas stations is interesting. The conversation could quickly go from "Cool EV, but where do you charge it? (everywhere)" to "Where are you going to get fuel for that clunker?"
But gas stations is interesting. The conversation could quickly go from "Cool EV, but where do you charge it? (everywhere)" to "Where are you going to get fuel for that clunker?"
Reactions to this week's newsletter have ranged from, "This is an absurd premise," to, "This is happening already in my city." So, pretty much what I've come to expect from writing about the energy economy.
insideclimatenews.org/news/0502202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/0502202...
Looking Ahead to When Gas Stations Vanish - Inside Climate News
Leaders should plan for declining demand that will undermine the viability of fossil fuel businesses. New research says it could happen sooner than we think.
insideclimatenews.org
February 6, 2026 at 6:58 PM
When I read about the paper, I was primarily thinking about the gas pipeline network death spiral for heating.
But gas stations is interesting. The conversation could quickly go from "Cool EV, but where do you charge it? (everywhere)" to "Where are you going to get fuel for that clunker?"
But gas stations is interesting. The conversation could quickly go from "Cool EV, but where do you charge it? (everywhere)" to "Where are you going to get fuel for that clunker?"
Reposted by Josh Lappen
Time to get ready.
When, you ask?
No time like the present.
When, you ask?
No time like the present.
February 6, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Time to get ready.
When, you ask?
No time like the present.
When, you ask?
No time like the present.
Reposted by Josh Lappen
as i keep saying, the things to do to secure elections are to volunteer to work the polls or to serve as an observer, & to pressure your *state representatives* to take steps to further secure voting locations and ballots. you should also learn about how election administration works in your area.
February 5, 2026 at 1:35 PM
as i keep saying, the things to do to secure elections are to volunteer to work the polls or to serve as an observer, & to pressure your *state representatives* to take steps to further secure voting locations and ballots. you should also learn about how election administration works in your area.
This is PRECISELY why @gruberte.bsky.social and I say it's so important to be loud abt the consequences of fossil decline. These risks sound outlandish to many right up until they become reality. Who gets blamed then will depend a lot on whether govt has already warned and tried to take action.
Reactions to this week's newsletter have ranged from, "This is an absurd premise," to, "This is happening already in my city." So, pretty much what I've come to expect from writing about the energy economy.
insideclimatenews.org/news/0502202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/0502202...
Looking Ahead to When Gas Stations Vanish - Inside Climate News
Leaders should plan for declining demand that will undermine the viability of fossil fuel businesses. New research says it could happen sooner than we think.
insideclimatenews.org
February 6, 2026 at 6:47 PM
This is PRECISELY why @gruberte.bsky.social and I say it's so important to be loud abt the consequences of fossil decline. These risks sound outlandish to many right up until they become reality. Who gets blamed then will depend a lot on whether govt has already warned and tried to take action.
Reposted by Josh Lappen
Good article on @jlappen1.bsky.social and @gruberte.bsky.social latest work which strongly suggests we start thinking of what declining oil demand will do to our economies.
"few businesses can be profitable selling a product whose demand is no longer growing."
"few businesses can be profitable selling a product whose demand is no longer growing."
Looking Ahead to When Gas Stations Vanish - Inside Climate News
Leaders should plan for declining demand that will undermine the viability of fossil fuel businesses. New research says it could happen sooner than we think.
insideclimatenews.org
February 6, 2026 at 11:56 AM
Good article on @jlappen1.bsky.social and @gruberte.bsky.social latest work which strongly suggests we start thinking of what declining oil demand will do to our economies.
"few businesses can be profitable selling a product whose demand is no longer growing."
"few businesses can be profitable selling a product whose demand is no longer growing."