New Clean Energy Conversations Blog

New Clean Energy Conversations Blog

I just launched a new blog, Clean Energy Conversations (aka Nerding Out About Clean Energy), which shares clean energy enthusiasts’ stories about adopting solar, wind, energy storage, electric vehicles, hydrogen and other forms of clean energy. The goal is to help others learn from the stories and make decisions about deploying renewable energy and electric vehicles.

The first blog was …

When Climate Disaster Strikes, How Distributed Energy Can Help

When Climate Disaster Strikes, How Distributed Energy Can Help

When climate-change caused disaster strikes–knocking out power–clean, distributed energy can create electric sanctuaries that are sometimes life-saving.

Solar, energy storage, wind and other renewable resources can power hospitals, keep medical devices charged, ensure food stays cool and provide for air conditioning or heat.

As a co-founder and editor of the news site Microgrid Knowledge, I’ve been covering the ways that …

Editorial: Planning for Wildfire-Related Outages: Register Guard

Editorial: Planning for Wildfire-Related Outages: Register Guard

By Lisa Cohn

This summer, tens of thousands of Oregon residents had their power shut off when high winds and hot temperatures threatened to ignite fires from electrical equipment such as utility poles. This was by far the largest series of  “public safety power shutoffs” implemented by Oregon utilities.

During such events, homeowners and businesses tend to fire up …

Editorial in Bend Bulletin: How We Can Create a Clean, Reliable Electric Grid

Editorial in Bend Bulletin: How We Can Create a Clean, Reliable Electric Grid

Along with my business partner, Elisa Wood, I have written a few editorials about clean energy. In addition to the one below, our editorials include pieces for the Oregonian and the Portland Tribune.

In this story for the second largest newspaper in Oregon–located in sunny Bend–we argue that it’s important for utilities to pay people for lending their clean energy …

Are Your Kids Feeling Anxiety over Climate Change? PDX Parent Magazine

Are Your Kids Feeling Anxiety over Climate Change? PDX Parent Magazine

Lisa Cohn

By Lisa Cohn

Here’s a story I wrote for PDX Parent Magazine about kids feeling anxious about climate change. It provides some tips for dealing with kids struggling with eco-anxiety.

Are Your Kids Feeling Eco-Anxiety Over Climate Change?

Providing Clean Energy to Communities During Emergencies

Providing Clean Energy to Communities During Emergencies

Oscar

I love writing about clean energy, in part because I meet passionate people who are helping others. Oscar Ruiz is one of them. Here’s a story about how he helped out during the most recent energy crisis in Texas, a crisis that left more than 3 million people without power, and in some cases, water.  This story is for Microgrid …

What’s it Like to Drive a Tesla 1,600 Miles? Explosion Fears, Hostile Strangers &….

What’s it Like to Drive a Tesla 1,600 Miles? Explosion Fears, Hostile Strangers &….

Explosion Fears, Hostile Strangers and Other Hazards of a 1,600-Mile Tesla Journey

drive a Tesla
By Lisa Cohn

Before I drove my new Tesla from Portland, Ore. to Whitefish Montana, I tried to travel in a Volkswagen e-Golf.

I impulsively leased a Volkswagen e-Golf in 2015 after learning that leases were going for low rates.

The modest and zippy e-Golf, it turned out, …

Editorial in the Oregonian: Power Outages, Climate Threats Should Prompt Action

Editorial in the Oregonian: Power Outages, Climate Threats Should Prompt Action

By Lisa Cohn
Lisa Cohn

My good friend Elisa Wood and I are editors and founders of a news site that focuses on distributed energy. Here’s an editorial we wrote for the Oregonian about why Oregon and states across the country need to take action by installing more distributed energy.

 

Power Outages, Climate Threats Should Spark Oregon Action on Off-Grid Alternatives

Good-Bye to Arguments Against Renewable Energy

Good-Bye to Arguments Against Renewable Energy

Can renewable energy sources cost less than fossil fuel generation? And are they as reliable?

Two recent studies say the answer is yes. The studies focus on how renewable energy, coupled with distributed energy resources, can be less expensive than and just as reliable as power from fossil fuel plants.

This story includes references to distributed energy …