In this week's newsletter: New podcast: @laurasandys.bsky.social & Rob Gross on big ideas for affordable energy. Our response to the Scottish Parliament's Draft Climate Change Plan Scrutiny. @mcbrisbois.bsky.social's blog redefining energy security as a demand issue. 👉 mailchi.mp/18f9e06ebdf1...

Glad to see Green Party Leader Elizabeth May amplifying the demands of the Xinka people to permanently shut down the Escobal mine - owned by Vancouver-based Pan American Silver! And we are also curious about when the CORE will have a new ombudsperson again, and be given real teeth to do its work.

Jonathan Mills of DESNZ @biee.org #BIEE2025 conference has noted that the social dynamics behind #flexibility need research. It's thus a good time to flag Helen Poulter and I's paper on the key role of trust in flexible systems (Helen presenting at 1:15)! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

If we want automated, flexible electricity systems that integrate private assets then we need an energy system that people can trust. See our latest to understand why we need more attention to people and governance of flexibility. @edrc-uk.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Today on Volts: the sun doesn't shine at night, but if you add batteries it might as well! If you're not closely tracking the industry, you're probably not aware of just how cheap solar+storage is getting, and how quickly. I talk with the authors of a new Ember report about the good news.

Our paper “Developing a relational approach to energy demand: A methodological and conceptual guide” has won a prize: the Energy Research & Social Science Best Paper Award! You can read it here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... thanks to funding from @ukerc.bsky.social

My favourite @yaleclimatecomm.bsky.social tool for understanding public opinion on climate is now available for the UK! 🇬🇧 Find out how many people in your area are worried about climate change, have experienced its impacts, support action from the government and more. The answers may surprise you!

Now out! Our argument that a "just" transition must address historical and structural inequalities, along with present transition injustices. With @lukashermwille.bsky.social and many others! @coaltransitions.bsky.social @sussexunibusiness.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Catch our new research published in Nature Energy today how compounding injustices can impede a just energy transition. Benjamin Sovacool @sovacool.bsky.social Lukas Hermwille @lukashermwille.bsky.social Mare-Claire Brisbois @mcbrisbois.bsky.social bennettinstitutesussex.org/stories/a-ju...

This is great news - and would have saved me £400. Although, having the neighbours informed about our heat pump through the planning system has actually been a really effective way of introducing them to how great it is. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

University of Sussex Energy and Climate Policy MSc students visiting the Meadow Blue community-owned solar PV farm near Chichester today. Really interesting to see solar powering community benefits across West Sussex! ⚡ Many thanks to Tom Broughton and Anna Glanville-Hearson.

I contributed to this article about how China has just gone and done it on electrification (even if still underpinned by coal for now), while the rest of are still tied up in (fossil-fuel funded) arguments about whether electrification, EVs and heat pumps work.

Come work with us at @ucl.ac.uk Institute for Sustainable Resources. Looking for a new lecturer in Environmental Policy. www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

🚗⚡ Ending EVs’ vehicle excise duty exemption raises big questions about pollution & the shift to cleaner transport. Yesterday, @mcbrisbois.bsky.social told ITV News Meridian how EV adoption helps cut fossil fuel pollution in cities. Watch here (interview at 9:30): 🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zKW...

A really great @sussexnrggroup.bsky.social annual key note lecture with Dhara Vyas of @energyuk.bsky.social on what's happening and where were going with the UK energy system. @edrc-uk.bsky.social

This is quite good. We also can't demonise people who support Trump but instead must organise with them. They often reasonably want radical change to broken systems - we need to collectively develop a better version of radical change than the Trump/Musk one. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It's gas that is making UK electricity expensive. www.carbonbrief.org/... 1/2

Last week, we caught up with @mcbrisbois.bsky.social from @sussexnrggroup.bsky.social for #IWD! 🚨 We talked motivation, her impactful work with @edrc-uk.bsky.social, and the two must-read papers topping her list right now.📚 www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS8R...

Great to see Trump discover electricity trading and the possibility that it can be switched off on the same day. entirely unrelatedly, if you think you have enough power over your opponent to force a settlement, you should probably find out if you actually do before trying to

InfluenceMap’s latest report analyzes the common playbook used by oil, gas & utilities to delay building electrification. It shows how policies & public discourse were targeted by regionally tailored industry talking points - in the US, Australia and the EU. Read more in @theguardian.com ⬇️

Saying goodbye to our gas connection today. It's @octopus.energy #heatpump install time!

Some incisive quotes from our main man @fraserjfstewart.bsky.social about how Labour must embrace community ownership to achieve net zero. theecologist.org/2025/feb/13/...

📢 Join @exeter.ac.uk 's C3DS, @metoffice.bsky.social and Carbon Brief for a panel discussion on how the media covers climate change. 📅 Wed, 12 March 2025 ⏰ 14:00-15:00 BST 📍 University of Exeter (with an online attendance option) 🌐 Register for free here: https://buff.ly/3QnQ9DK

This @carolinelucas.bsky.social piece on climate policy that speaks to the experiences of people is exactly on point. Give me a party that tackles climate change by tackling inequality and I am on board. If we have to make a new party - I am also on board. www.newstatesman.com/environment/...

🏛️ Cross-party MPs used last week's debate on Proportional Representation to call for a 'National Commission for Electoral Reform' 🚨 First Past the Post isn't working. The public knows it, the parties know it, and MPs know it 🚀 It's time for action, starting with the launch of a National Commission

In 2009, the Ontario government also tried to force the renewable energy transition through and it helped destroy the incumbent party and set energy progress back by years. We also have EU research showing that force creates massive delays - we can do this better. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I've just signed this to try to limit the influence of the very wealthy on UK politics. Petition: Tighten the rules on political donations petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

Hopefully Sussex follows suit soon!

'To go fast, we must go slow.' This @coaltransitions.bsky.social paper highlights the dangers of pushing through an #energy transition from the top-down without taking the time to include people in planning and benefits. 1/4 @sussexnrggroup.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

📣 Check out the EDRC Flexible Fund! Applications are open for the Rapid Projects Fund (£50k), International Fund (£10k, deadline is 1 February) and Early Career Fund (£72). Join us in advancing UK energy demand research! Learn more and apply: tinyurl.com/4wtcx7nd

Has anyone published anything on why people don't trust #energy providers (specifically in the UK but elsewhere works too)? I have lots of ideas why but could use something cite-able.

🇫🇷📵A group of French organisations are asking the public to leave X on January 20th, the day that incoming US President Donald Trump will be inaugurated.

Is there anyone actually good within the Liberals to replace Trudeau? Anyone who understands that tweaks to a broken economic model aren't going to be enough? That this is now about class war and not about climate, health policy, etc.? I'm a bit out of the loop but need to catch up.

Our @ukerc.bsky.social Social Relations of Energy Retrofit team, led by @drdonalbrown.bsky.social, have published a paper arguing that by paying attention to relational dynamics, we can better design retrofit policies that work with the grain of existing household practices and social relations.

Ever received an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for your home and thought “well that looks real expensive and a lot of hassle: where do I start?” There’s a sociological solution to this major challenge of domestic retrofit in the UK. New paper out today: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

It was great to speak at this event! I'm really looking forward to working with people to create pathways for implementation for this decarbonisation plan in Brighton and Hove.

@mcbrisbois.bsky.social speaking at @climatechangebh.bsky.social launch. To decarbonise Brighton & Hove, need focus on financing (e.g. green mortgages), politics (e.g. stories of good experience w. new tech) & delivery (e.g. who to trust to do the work). Check out also @sussexnrggroup.bsky.social

If DAC isn't going to work on time then we need to be talking about energy demand reduction. news.mit.edu/2024/reality...

In our next Energy and Climate Seminar, Max Lacey-Barnacle is talking to us about Community Wealth Building, and how it overlaps with the emerging green economy. Join us at 1pm today (online or in person!) to find out more! Register: www.sussex.ac.uk/research/cen...

💥 Cross-party MPs call for a 'National Commission for Electoral Reform' 📰 Report by the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for @appgfairelections.bsky.social out now! 📈 New group has over 100 members and is backed by senior Labour and Conservative figures 🧵 1/7

This paper was a labour of love/relentless drive to make sure the world knows that it's social relationships that make home energy retrofits happen and not (just) the right economic incentives. #retrofit #energy #energypolicy