Matt Baker
@mattb505.bsky.social
Regulator at the California PUC. Posts are my own.
Reposted by Matt Baker
“Adjusted trade deficit” is the new adjusted EBITDA
April 3, 2025 at 7:06 AM
“Adjusted trade deficit” is the new adjusted EBITDA
Reposted by Matt Baker
NEW: The doctor behind breakthrough Parkinson’s research was among the scientists purged from the National Institutes of Health, the US’s leading medical research agency. www.wired.com/story/doctor...
Doctor Behind Award-Winning Parkinson’s Research Among Scientists Purged From NIH
Leading scientists at the National Institutes of Health, the US’s leading medical research agency, were swept up Tuesday in the Trump administration's latest firing blitz.
www.wired.com
April 2, 2025 at 12:13 AM
NEW: The doctor behind breakthrough Parkinson’s research was among the scientists purged from the National Institutes of Health, the US’s leading medical research agency. www.wired.com/story/doctor...
Reposted by Matt Baker
In the hearing this week on Fix our forests, the statement was made that 75% of those already laid off were red carded. This summer’s fire season, if it isn’t a quiet one, is going to be a reality check for these policies.
www.eenews.net/articles/for...
www.eenews.net/articles/for...
March 8, 2025 at 3:57 AM
In the hearing this week on Fix our forests, the statement was made that 75% of those already laid off were red carded. This summer’s fire season, if it isn’t a quiet one, is going to be a reality check for these policies.
www.eenews.net/articles/for...
www.eenews.net/articles/for...
Reposted by Matt Baker
Recommended watch: A short video report by ABC News explained how the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration uses automated techniques to record climate data.
NOAA adjusts their climate data — so what?
A misunderstood concept in climate change is the allegation that climate data is manipulated. NOAA and other climate agencies around the world often have to ...
buff.ly
March 1, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Recommended watch: A short video report by ABC News explained how the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration uses automated techniques to record climate data.
Reposted by Matt Baker
As federal research grants continue to be frozen, and NIH staff is being gutted, please note this study was funded by federal research grants, including from NIH. If they continue with staff cuts, and continue to freeze new awards, this is just one example of what we lose.
THIS IS HUGE! A cancer vaccine developed by Yale University and DFCI shows MAJOR promise. Results of an early-phase trial reveal ALL patients with ADVANCED stage kidney cancer had successful anti-cancer immune responses AND have remained CANCER-FREE approximately THREE years after treatment. 🧪🧵⬇️
February 26, 2025 at 7:05 PM
As federal research grants continue to be frozen, and NIH staff is being gutted, please note this study was funded by federal research grants, including from NIH. If they continue with staff cuts, and continue to freeze new awards, this is just one example of what we lose.
Reposted by Matt Baker
The measles outbreak in Texas is reminding me of the public letter Roald Dahl wrote about losing his daughter to measles in 1962, just before the vaccine was publicly available.
February 15, 2025 at 5:49 PM
The measles outbreak in Texas is reminding me of the public letter Roald Dahl wrote about losing his daughter to measles in 1962, just before the vaccine was publicly available.
Reposted by Matt Baker
The termination of 850 Indian Health Service physicians, nurses, and dentists will have a grave impact on access to care for millions of Native Americans.
Upholding our treaty obligations is not optional.
Upholding our treaty obligations is not optional.
February 14, 2025 at 11:25 PM
The termination of 850 Indian Health Service physicians, nurses, and dentists will have a grave impact on access to care for millions of Native Americans.
Upholding our treaty obligations is not optional.
Upholding our treaty obligations is not optional.
Reposted by Matt Baker
I saw this but didn't the IRA define greenhouse gases as air pollutants? Didn't Congress do this specifically to short circuit this kind of hackery? Someone smarter please explain
Trump aims to reverse the "endangerment finding" that undergirds all E.P.A. action on climate. Truly a worst-case scenario. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/21/c...
3 of the Most Important Trump Executive Orders on Climate
President Trump’s wave of executive orders yesterday sent an undeniable signal to the world about the United States’ role in fighting climate change.
www.nytimes.com
January 21, 2025 at 7:48 PM
I saw this but didn't the IRA define greenhouse gases as air pollutants? Didn't Congress do this specifically to short circuit this kind of hackery? Someone smarter please explain
Reposted by Matt Baker
Here we go again. Another round of very strong & locally damaging offshore winds is imminent across SoCal. Due to now record-dry vegetation, this will result in another "extremely critical" wildfire risk period, esp. across parts of LA & Ventura counties Mon-Tue. #CAwx #CAfire
January 19, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by Matt Baker
Isn't there some quip about how it's cheaper to hang a flat screen TV over a hole in your drywall than pay someone to come out and fix it?
January 4, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Isn't there some quip about how it's cheaper to hang a flat screen TV over a hole in your drywall than pay someone to come out and fix it?
Reposted by Matt Baker
I'm half convinced there's a Tim Powers novel of this.
My hottest take is that there is no such thing as a self-driving car. They’re all being operated by ghosts.
December 31, 2024 at 9:51 PM
I'm half convinced there's a Tim Powers novel of this.
Reposted by Matt Baker
The "Relative Nino Index" (helpful in a warming climate) suggests a stronger #LaNina influence than traditional measures would otherwise indicate (esp. strong/north-shifted NPAC jet), w/wet PacNW and dry SoCal: www.climate.gov/news...
Can a little La Niña pack a big precipitation punch? | NOAA Climate.gov
Big things sometimes come in small packages, and our blogger explains why this winter’s expected weak La Niña might have a bigger precipitation impact than usual.
www.climate.gov
December 27, 2024 at 4:52 PM
The "Relative Nino Index" (helpful in a warming climate) suggests a stronger #LaNina influence than traditional measures would otherwise indicate (esp. strong/north-shifted NPAC jet), w/wet PacNW and dry SoCal: www.climate.gov/news...
Reposted by Matt Baker
The Triassic is my favourite geological period. Such a carnival riot of diversity, and a defiant raspberry to the preceding Permian catastrophe.
Finally, even The Economist recognizes that the Triassic is the most fabulous geological period. Better late than never…
December 22, 2024 at 6:42 AM
The Triassic is my favourite geological period. Such a carnival riot of diversity, and a defiant raspberry to the preceding Permian catastrophe.
Reposted by Matt Baker
Here is a hopefully useful chart for those who think China's electricity demand growth is driven by data centers (part of IT services), EV charging, solar manufacturing or EV manufacturing.
December 20, 2024 at 10:10 AM
Here is a hopefully useful chart for those who think China's electricity demand growth is driven by data centers (part of IT services), EV charging, solar manufacturing or EV manufacturing.
Reposted by Matt Baker
This is not surprising. Our work showed that coal-to-gas transition is unlikely to be replicated in other countries because of (i) high LNG prices, (ii) lack of gas/pipeline infrastructure, and (iii) national security concerns. DoE's analysis reaffirms that conclusion. pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
December 17, 2024 at 10:18 PM
This is not surprising. Our work showed that coal-to-gas transition is unlikely to be replicated in other countries because of (i) high LNG prices, (ii) lack of gas/pipeline infrastructure, and (iii) national security concerns. DoE's analysis reaffirms that conclusion. pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Matt Baker
Using their filed integrated resource plan, the utility identified hundreds of projects that could be switched to cutting edge American technology saving $Billions for ratepayers and overcoming decade long “death by pilot” www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/co...
PG&E Gets $15 Billion Loan Offer From Biden’s Green Bank
The Biden administration is offering PG&E Corp. a loan of up to $15 billion for a portfolio of projects that includes upgraded hydropower generation, battery storage and transmission lines.
www.bnnbloomberg.ca
December 17, 2024 at 1:34 PM
Using their filed integrated resource plan, the utility identified hundreds of projects that could be switched to cutting edge American technology saving $Billions for ratepayers and overcoming decade long “death by pilot” www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/co...
Reposted by Matt Baker
How could we actually structure a market system that is actually capable of deep decarbonization? Energy only markets are going to get stuck on cannibalization and undervaluing reliability. Vertical utilities tend to be slow and under capitalized...
November 3, 2023 at 7:33 PM
How could we actually structure a market system that is actually capable of deep decarbonization? Energy only markets are going to get stuck on cannibalization and undervaluing reliability. Vertical utilities tend to be slow and under capitalized...
Reposted by Matt Baker
That’s Dr Emil to you all!
I am excited to share some personal news! This week I successfully defended my PhD thesis “Decarbonization of energy systems under risk”!
And I am beyond thrilled to be soon starting as a postdoc researcher at @jessedjenkins.com’s Princeton ZERO lab!
And I am beyond thrilled to be soon starting as a postdoc researcher at @jessedjenkins.com’s Princeton ZERO lab!
December 1, 2024 at 3:28 PM
That’s Dr Emil to you all!
Reposted by Matt Baker
P.S. this thread introduces the first 3 papers in the thesis. bsky.app/profile/emil...
Are electricity markets aligned with decarbonization goals? 🔌💡
In a new paper, I and co-authors show that market frictions in long-term contracting can hinder decarbonization. We are likely under-investing in clean energy.
Open access! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #energysky
In a new paper, I and co-authors show that market frictions in long-term contracting can hinder decarbonization. We are likely under-investing in clean energy.
Open access! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #energysky
Consequences of the missing risk market problem for power system emissions
Liberalized power markets are characterized by a missing market problem: a limited availability of long-term contracts leaves risk-averse investors ex…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 1, 2024 at 2:03 PM
P.S. this thread introduces the first 3 papers in the thesis. bsky.app/profile/emil...
Reposted by Matt Baker
My last PhD work is now a preprint! Feedback welcome!
How should governments choose climate policies in second-best power markets with incomplete long-term contracting?
We see some surprises: wind & solar subsidies can be more cost-effective than CO2 pricing...
ceepr.mit.edu/workingpaper... 🔌💡
How should governments choose climate policies in second-best power markets with incomplete long-term contracting?
We see some surprises: wind & solar subsidies can be more cost-effective than CO2 pricing...
ceepr.mit.edu/workingpaper... 🔌💡
October 2, 2024 at 5:19 PM
My last PhD work is now a preprint! Feedback welcome!
How should governments choose climate policies in second-best power markets with incomplete long-term contracting?
We see some surprises: wind & solar subsidies can be more cost-effective than CO2 pricing...
ceepr.mit.edu/workingpaper... 🔌💡
How should governments choose climate policies in second-best power markets with incomplete long-term contracting?
We see some surprises: wind & solar subsidies can be more cost-effective than CO2 pricing...
ceepr.mit.edu/workingpaper... 🔌💡
Reposted by Matt Baker
Less pollution, more service, quieter trains. Everyone is happy! jalopnik.com/ridership-of...
Ridership Of Bay Area Caltrain Is Up Drastically Following A Transition To New Electric Trains
It’s not due to return-to-office mandates, either. Better trains and service are just more appealing
jalopnik.com
November 30, 2024 at 2:45 PM
Less pollution, more service, quieter trains. Everyone is happy! jalopnik.com/ridership-of...
Reposted by Matt Baker
Awesome to see Notre Dame repaired and re-opened.
Notre Dame Cathedral has been closed to the public since a fire damaged the landmark in April 2019.
A restored Notre Dame cathedral is unveiled days before its official reopening
Notre Dame Cathedral has been closed to the public since a fire damaged the landmark in April 2019.
www.npr.org
November 30, 2024 at 6:09 PM
Awesome to see Notre Dame repaired and re-opened.
Reposted by Matt Baker
"precisely because, for the longest time, the online economy seemed to have marginal costs as close to zero as made no odds, it expanded until the constraints became impossible to ignore." backofmind.substack.com/p/just-a-few...
just a few little satanic mills
many an epsilon makes a delta
backofmind.substack.com
November 29, 2024 at 4:25 PM
"precisely because, for the longest time, the online economy seemed to have marginal costs as close to zero as made no odds, it expanded until the constraints became impossible to ignore." backofmind.substack.com/p/just-a-few...
Reposted by Matt Baker
"It’s more appropriate to think of the lithium-ion battery not as a single invention, but as a steady accumulation of many inventions that were needed to both make a battery practical and to unlock its full potential."
This is true of all innovation.
www.construction-physics.com/p/how-we-got...
This is true of all innovation.
www.construction-physics.com/p/how-we-got...
How We Got the Lithium-Ion Battery
It took decades of research, performed around the world, before a practical lithium-ion battery was possible.
www.construction-physics.com
November 29, 2024 at 5:03 PM
"It’s more appropriate to think of the lithium-ion battery not as a single invention, but as a steady accumulation of many inventions that were needed to both make a battery practical and to unlock its full potential."
This is true of all innovation.
www.construction-physics.com/p/how-we-got...
This is true of all innovation.
www.construction-physics.com/p/how-we-got...