Jay Turner
@jayturner.bsky.social
Environmental Studies Professor at Wellesley College. Author of Charged: A History of Batteries and Lessons for a Clean Energy Future (2022). Tracking and analyzing clean energy supply chains at https://www.the-big-green-machine.com
Pinned
Jay Turner
@jayturner.bsky.social
· Apr 23
Since taking office, Trump’s policies have SLOWED - closed, delayed, etc. - 78 clean energy manufacturing projects worth $76 billion and 74,430 jobs.
127 projects have ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $68B and 63,910 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
127 projects have ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $68B and 63,910 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
Reposted by Jay Turner
Hey Bluesky friends! There's one more day to submit your paper or panel for the ASEH 2027 Conference! Deadline is tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 23. Learn more here: www.aseh.org/ASEH-2027-Ca...
American Society for Environmental History - ASEH 2027 Call for Proposals
www.aseh.org
August 22, 2026 at 9:37 PM
Hey Bluesky friends! There's one more day to submit your paper or panel for the ASEH 2027 Conference! Deadline is tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 23. Learn more here: www.aseh.org/ASEH-2027-Ca...
Since taking office, Trump’s policies have SLOWED - closed, delayed, etc. - 78 clean energy manufacturing projects worth $76 billion and 74,430 jobs.
127 projects have ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $68B and 63,910 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
127 projects have ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $68B and 63,910 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
April 23, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Since taking office, Trump’s policies have SLOWED - closed, delayed, etc. - 78 clean energy manufacturing projects worth $76 billion and 74,430 jobs.
127 projects have ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $68B and 63,910 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
127 projects have ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $68B and 63,910 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
Reposted by Jay Turner
Fascinating new research paper asks: why did Biden receive so little political credit for his enormous investments in manufacturing? Turns out people give all the credit to governors (ironically, in this case, mostly red-state governors who were hostile to the policy!).
Why Biden-era clean energy investment policies had limited political returns | PNAS
The Biden Administration enacted the largest federal policy framework to incentivize
clean energy and decarbonization in U.S. history. We examine w...
www.pnas.org
February 26, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Fascinating new research paper asks: why did Biden receive so little political credit for his enormous investments in manufacturing? Turns out people give all the credit to governors (ironically, in this case, mostly red-state governors who were hostile to the policy!).
Wondering when a next-generation battery chemistry will make long-duration electricity storage possible? It is getting closer.
Form's iron air batteries could be that technology, providing days, not just hours, of back up.
This project is still years away - 2028 - but it could be a game changer.
Form's iron air batteries could be that technology, providing days, not just hours, of back up.
This project is still years away - 2028 - but it could be a game changer.
NEW: Google will pay Minnesota’s Xcel Energy to build tons of wind and solar generation — and the power produced will be stored in Form Energy batteries.
Gigantic Form Energy battery to power Google data center in Minnesota
The startup has struck a deal with Xcel Energy to build a 30 gigawatt-hour battery plant that will deliver clean energy, round the clock, to a Google…
www.canarymedia.com
February 27, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Wondering when a next-generation battery chemistry will make long-duration electricity storage possible? It is getting closer.
Form's iron air batteries could be that technology, providing days, not just hours, of back up.
This project is still years away - 2028 - but it could be a game changer.
Form's iron air batteries could be that technology, providing days, not just hours, of back up.
This project is still years away - 2028 - but it could be a game changer.
Reposted by Jay Turner
Today, the Trump administration repealed the endangerment finding: the ruling that served as the basis for limits on tailpipe emissions and power plant rules. Without it, we’ll be less safe, less healthy and less able to fight climate change—all so the fossil fuel industry can make even more money.
WATCH: Trump, EPA's Zeldin announce end of scientific basis for U.S. action on climate change
The Trump administration on Thursday revoked a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, the most aggressiv...
www.pbs.org
February 12, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Today, the Trump administration repealed the endangerment finding: the ruling that served as the basis for limits on tailpipe emissions and power plant rules. Without it, we’ll be less safe, less healthy and less able to fight climate change—all so the fossil fuel industry can make even more money.
Reposted by Jay Turner
As a historian of science, I was raised to think rejecting science was a pathology of anti-democratic governments. Well, this might be the proof of that.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...
Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:42 PM
As a historian of science, I was raised to think rejecting science was a pathology of anti-democratic governments. Well, this might be the proof of that.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...
Reposted by Jay Turner
It is so important to keep hammering in this point. People always ask me why I would have to go visit archives - why not just look at a scan? Because they haven’t been scanned! And they are never going to be! There are millions & millions of pieces of paper in every archive.
Right, another key thing that historians do is working with important records that have not been digitized.
And the vast majority of the world’s records *have not been digitized* and thus do not exist in any format that LLMs/AI can work with.
And the vast majority of the world’s records *have not been digitized* and thus do not exist in any format that LLMs/AI can work with.
it's literally impossible for an LLM to do a historian's job
it's not even LLMs sucking it's that they need data input to do anything and where's that data supposed to be coming from without historians
never met a computer that can dig through a thousand year old book in a library
it's not even LLMs sucking it's that they need data input to do anything and where's that data supposed to be coming from without historians
never met a computer that can dig through a thousand year old book in a library
February 12, 2026 at 5:27 PM
It is so important to keep hammering in this point. People always ask me why I would have to go visit archives - why not just look at a scan? Because they haven’t been scanned! And they are never going to be! There are millions & millions of pieces of paper in every archive.
Compelling piece from Julie Michelle Klinger on what the US can do to shore up the domestic supply of rare earths - recycle what is already in circulation, reduce waste, and expand domestic processing. #energysky
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/o...
Opinion | America’s Rare-Earths Solution Is Hiding in Plain Sight
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Compelling piece from Julie Michelle Klinger on what the US can do to shore up the domestic supply of rare earths - recycle what is already in circulation, reduce waste, and expand domestic processing. #energysky
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/o...
The Trump administration's policies have cost the US yet another manufacturing opportunity: Lyten's plans for a $1 billion lithium-sulfur gigafactory employing 1000 people in Nevada have fallen through, as it shifts its manufacturing plans to Europe. #energysky
mynews4.com/news/local/n...
mynews4.com/news/local/n...
January 29, 2026 at 10:22 PM
The Trump administration's policies have cost the US yet another manufacturing opportunity: Lyten's plans for a $1 billion lithium-sulfur gigafactory employing 1000 people in Nevada have fallen through, as it shifts its manufacturing plans to Europe. #energysky
mynews4.com/news/local/n...
mynews4.com/news/local/n...
Trump's foreign policy doesn't make any sense. But it might if you look at it through the right lens. My @wellesley.edu colleague Stacie Goddard co-wrote this piece explaining the shortcomings of Trump's "neoroyalist" approach to international politics.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/o...
Opinion | This Theory Explains Trump’s Baffling Foreign Policy
www.nytimes.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:14 PM
Trump's foreign policy doesn't make any sense. But it might if you look at it through the right lens. My @wellesley.edu colleague Stacie Goddard co-wrote this piece explaining the shortcomings of Trump's "neoroyalist" approach to international politics.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/o...
Reposted by Jay Turner
In 1995, Congressional Republicans eliminated the Office of Technology Assessment - Congress' source of non-partisan scientific & technical advice. Now Republicans have fired or pushed _10,000_ PhD scientists out of the executive branch (over 100Kyrs of experience).
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
www.science.org
January 27, 2026 at 2:31 PM
In 1995, Congressional Republicans eliminated the Office of Technology Assessment - Congress' source of non-partisan scientific & technical advice. Now Republicans have fired or pushed _10,000_ PhD scientists out of the executive branch (over 100Kyrs of experience).
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
In year one, Trump’s policies have SLOWED - closed, delayed, etc. - 70 clean energy manufacturing projects worth $74B and 68,958 jobs.
109 projects have still ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $61B and 61,107 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
🔌💡
109 projects have still ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $61B and 61,107 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
🔌💡
January 21, 2026 at 3:59 PM
In year one, Trump’s policies have SLOWED - closed, delayed, etc. - 70 clean energy manufacturing projects worth $74B and 68,958 jobs.
109 projects have still ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $61B and 61,107 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
🔌💡
109 projects have still ADVANCED - moving toward construction or operation - worth $61B and 61,107 jobs.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
🔌💡
Trump + 11 months: Investments in US clean energy manufacturing were hit hard last month.
We are now tracking 69 projects, $70.5B in investment, and 66,758 jobs that have been delayed, shrunk, paused, or cancelled since Trump took office.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
🔌💡
We are now tracking 69 projects, $70.5B in investment, and 66,758 jobs that have been delayed, shrunk, paused, or cancelled since Trump took office.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
🔌💡
December 23, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Trump + 11 months: Investments in US clean energy manufacturing were hit hard last month.
We are now tracking 69 projects, $70.5B in investment, and 66,758 jobs that have been delayed, shrunk, paused, or cancelled since Trump took office.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
🔌💡
We are now tracking 69 projects, $70.5B in investment, and 66,758 jobs that have been delayed, shrunk, paused, or cancelled since Trump took office.
www.the-big-green-machine.com/post-trump-s...
🔌💡
Reposted by Jay Turner
The suspension is the latest step by the administration to hobble offshore wind in its push against renewable energy sources. It comes 2 weeks after a federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects, calling it unlawful. 🔌💡
apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com/article/trum...
Trump administration suspends 5 wind projects off the East Coast, cites national security concerns
The Trump administration is suspending leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects under construction on the East Coast due to what it said were national security risks identified by the Pentag...
apnews.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:03 PM
The suspension is the latest step by the administration to hobble offshore wind in its push against renewable energy sources. It comes 2 weeks after a federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects, calling it unlawful. 🔌💡
apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com/article/trum...
The immediate impact of Ford's retooling is the loss of a lot of jobs. Ford says it plans to hire 2100 people for the new LFP lines - and current BlueOval employees can apply - but that isn't slated to go into production until 2027.
#energysky
#energysky
The entire workforce at the BlueOval SK electric vehicle battery park in Kentucky is being laid off, as Ford announces it is repurposing the Glendale plant to manufacture battery storage for energy customers. From WKU:
BlueOval SK in Kentucky is out of the EV battery business and will lay off entire workforce as Ford announces restructuring
The entire workforce at the BlueOval SK electric vehicle battery park in Hardin County is being laid off as Ford announces a major restructuring.
www.wkyufm.org
December 16, 2025 at 6:11 PM
The immediate impact of Ford's retooling is the loss of a lot of jobs. Ford says it plans to hire 2100 people for the new LFP lines - and current BlueOval employees can apply - but that isn't slated to go into production until 2027.
#energysky
#energysky
In 2021, SK and Ford joined forces to build 3 BlueOval battery factories. Now they are breaking up.
@electrek.co reports SK is looking for more flexibility to sell to other automakers and for storage applications.
Ford keeps KY plants; SK keeps TN plant. #energysky
electrek.co/2025/12/11/f...
@electrek.co reports SK is looking for more flexibility to sell to other automakers and for storage applications.
Ford keeps KY plants; SK keeps TN plant. #energysky
electrek.co/2025/12/11/f...
Ford and SK On kill massive $11.4B US battery joint venture, split factories between them
In a massive shakeup for the US electric vehicle supply chain, Ford and South Korean battery giant SK On announced...
electrek.co
December 11, 2025 at 8:58 PM
In 2021, SK and Ford joined forces to build 3 BlueOval battery factories. Now they are breaking up.
@electrek.co reports SK is looking for more flexibility to sell to other automakers and for storage applications.
Ford keeps KY plants; SK keeps TN plant. #energysky
electrek.co/2025/12/11/f...
@electrek.co reports SK is looking for more flexibility to sell to other automakers and for storage applications.
Ford keeps KY plants; SK keeps TN plant. #energysky
electrek.co/2025/12/11/f...
Reposted by Jay Turner
ASEH Launching New Research Grants for Early Career Scholars
ASEH will award up to six $500 grants in 2026 to support early career scholars doing research in environmental history. Apply today by following this link: forms.gle/AQXjPeMw5DBa...
ASEH will award up to six $500 grants in 2026 to support early career scholars doing research in environmental history. Apply today by following this link: forms.gle/AQXjPeMw5DBa...
December 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
ASEH Launching New Research Grants for Early Career Scholars
ASEH will award up to six $500 grants in 2026 to support early career scholars doing research in environmental history. Apply today by following this link: forms.gle/AQXjPeMw5DBa...
ASEH will award up to six $500 grants in 2026 to support early career scholars doing research in environmental history. Apply today by following this link: forms.gle/AQXjPeMw5DBa...
Reposted by Jay Turner
HUGE: In a letter to Congress, more than 140 solar companies detail how the Trump permitting freeze on renewables is worse than imagined and hitting copious projects on private lands
They’re asking Congress to intervene and say “bipartisan permitting reform” won’t help without forcing Trump’s hand
They’re asking Congress to intervene and say “bipartisan permitting reform” won’t help without forcing Trump’s hand
Solar Industry Group Describes Trump’s ‘Complete Moratorium on Permitting’
A letter from the Solar Energy Industries Association asks for Congress’ help to reverse the administration’s effective permitting ban.
heatmap.news
December 4, 2025 at 10:52 PM
HUGE: In a letter to Congress, more than 140 solar companies detail how the Trump permitting freeze on renewables is worse than imagined and hitting copious projects on private lands
They’re asking Congress to intervene and say “bipartisan permitting reform” won’t help without forcing Trump’s hand
They’re asking Congress to intervene and say “bipartisan permitting reform” won’t help without forcing Trump’s hand
Reposted by Jay Turner
Speaking of sensible things, @volts.wtf new solo pod episode is must-listen! 🔌💡 www.volts.wtf/p/whats-goin...
December 4, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Speaking of sensible things, @volts.wtf new solo pod episode is must-listen! 🔌💡 www.volts.wtf/p/whats-goin...
Reposted by Jay Turner
An article I cowrote with Andy Schultz and David McCune providing some highlights from a research project that analyzed various voting systems.
theconversation.com/ranked-choic...
theconversation.com/ranked-choic...
Ranked choice voting outperforms the winner-take-all system used to elect nearly every US politician
Ranked choice voting largely avoids the pitfalls of plurality voting, giving voters the power to express their true candidate preferences rather than being strategic.
theconversation.com
December 2, 2025 at 8:03 PM
An article I cowrote with Andy Schultz and David McCune providing some highlights from a research project that analyzed various voting systems.
theconversation.com/ranked-choic...
theconversation.com/ranked-choic...
Reposted by Jay Turner
I’m proud of the work we have done and continue to do. I’m Trying not to hate the name change, but most of us came here for the mission.
Most labs are named after places because they could not or didn’t want to announce their mission. We always got to be proud of ours. I hope we still can be. 🔌💡
Most labs are named after places because they could not or didn’t want to announce their mission. We always got to be proud of ours. I hope we still can be. 🔌💡
The Trump administration says it has renamed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory the "National Laboratory of the Rockies." "The renaming is effective immediately and will be reflected in all public communications and official correspondence." www.nrel.gov/news/detail/... 🔌💡
News Release: Energy Department Renames NREL 'National Lab of the Rockies' | NREL
www.nrel.gov
December 1, 2025 at 11:27 PM
I’m proud of the work we have done and continue to do. I’m Trying not to hate the name change, but most of us came here for the mission.
Most labs are named after places because they could not or didn’t want to announce their mission. We always got to be proud of ours. I hope we still can be. 🔌💡
Most labs are named after places because they could not or didn’t want to announce their mission. We always got to be proud of ours. I hope we still can be. 🔌💡
Reposted by Jay Turner
1) The editor of Cell Reports Sustainable, a new open-access journal from Cell Press, graciously invited me to do a short Q&A about our new paper, "Distribution grids may be a barrier to residential electrification." Pasting the Q&A in a short 🧵 if anyone's interested.
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Distribution grids may be a barrier to residential electrification
Replacing fossil-fueled machines with electric alternatives can reduce emissions,
but Priyadarshan et al. find that reinforcing United States distribution grids to
accommodate complete home and vehicl...
www.cell.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:09 PM
1) The editor of Cell Reports Sustainable, a new open-access journal from Cell Press, graciously invited me to do a short Q&A about our new paper, "Distribution grids may be a barrier to residential electrification." Pasting the Q&A in a short 🧵 if anyone's interested.
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Reposted by Jay Turner
Beyond depraved: "Hours after her detainment, court documents obtained by ABC News show that a federal judge ordered the government not to remove the 19-year-old from the U.S. and not to transfer her outside of Massachusetts. But Lopez Belloza was deported to Honduras the next day."
November 28, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Beyond depraved: "Hours after her detainment, court documents obtained by ABC News show that a federal judge ordered the government not to remove the 19-year-old from the U.S. and not to transfer her outside of Massachusetts. But Lopez Belloza was deported to Honduras the next day."
In the US, the lead-acid battery industry, led by @batterycouncil.bsky.social (founded in 1924) has been championing the industry as the model for recycling and re-use lead-acid batteries since the 1990s.
Here is what you'll see on their website:
batterycouncil.org/battery-fact...
Here is what you'll see on their website:
batterycouncil.org/battery-fact...
November 25, 2025 at 2:04 PM
In the US, the lead-acid battery industry, led by @batterycouncil.bsky.social (founded in 1924) has been championing the industry as the model for recycling and re-use lead-acid batteries since the 1990s.
Here is what you'll see on their website:
batterycouncil.org/battery-fact...
Here is what you'll see on their website:
batterycouncil.org/battery-fact...
Industry rightly claims that 99% of US lead-acid batteries are recycled.
When done cheaply, that recycled lead comes at a grave cost to workers and communities around the world.
#energysky
When done cheaply, that recycled lead comes at a grave cost to workers and communities around the world.
#energysky
Second part of this great, devastating, reporting.
"As the auto industry struggled through the subsequent financial crisis, other car companies and battery retailers also declined to sign on. Green Lead collapsed"
Explore this gift article. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/w...
"As the auto industry struggled through the subsequent financial crisis, other car companies and battery retailers also declined to sign on. Green Lead collapsed"
Explore this gift article. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/w...
The Auto Industry Was Warned: Battery Recycling Was Poisoning People
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Industry rightly claims that 99% of US lead-acid batteries are recycled.
When done cheaply, that recycled lead comes at a grave cost to workers and communities around the world.
#energysky
When done cheaply, that recycled lead comes at a grave cost to workers and communities around the world.
#energysky