Dan Schroeder
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dvschroeder.bsky.social
Dan Schroeder
@dvschroeder.bsky.social
780 followers 200 following 2K posts
Physicist, educator, number-cruncher. Cartoon by the great Cal Grondahl. physics.weber.edu/schroeder
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Reposted by Dan Schroeder
solarchase.bsky.social
Last day of the discount code for my book, which is also a decent Christmas present for someone who hopes to get into renewables as a job.

(Or just ask your library for the book if you're curious).
solarchase.bsky.social Jenny Chase @solarchase.bsky.social · Oct 20
Time for 2025 updates to my annual “opinions about solar” thread. If you like these, you might like the second edition of my book, Solar Power Finance Without The Jargon. A 30% discount code WSQ0437 is valid on publisher website until end of November 2025.

www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
Solar Power Finance Without the Jargon
www.worldscientific.com
November 30, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
sammyroth.bsky.social
I’ve been waiting for an answer from the L.A. Department of Water and Power on when exactly they’d stop burning coal at Intermountain. They had promised by the end of November. This certainly appears to be it.
dvschroeder.bsky.social Dan Schroeder @dvschroeder.bsky.social · 3d
Something to be thankful for!

Utah's largest coal-fired power plant—the Intermountain Power Project, located in the west desert near Delta and serving southern California—stopped burning coal at mid-day on Wednesday, just in time for Thanksgiving. 🔌💡
Screen capture from the EIA Hourly Electric Grid Monitor (https://www.eia.gov/electricity/gridmonitor/dashboard/electric_overview/balancing_authority/LDWP) showing a chart of hourly generation by energy source within the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power balancing authority, from November 21-27. The data indicate that natural gas is almost always the largest source, with significant contributions from solar, wind, and coal. The curve for coal fluctuates in the approximate range of 350 to 630 megawatts up to mid-day on Wednesday, November 26, when it abruptly drops to zero. It remains at zero through all of November 27, Thanksgiving Day.
November 28, 2025 at 6:03 PM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
Something to be thankful for!

Utah's largest coal-fired power plant—the Intermountain Power Project, located in the west desert near Delta and serving southern California—stopped burning coal at mid-day on Wednesday, just in time for Thanksgiving. 🔌💡
Screen capture from the EIA Hourly Electric Grid Monitor (https://www.eia.gov/electricity/gridmonitor/dashboard/electric_overview/balancing_authority/LDWP) showing a chart of hourly generation by energy source within the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power balancing authority, from November 21-27. The data indicate that natural gas is almost always the largest source, with significant contributions from solar, wind, and coal. The curve for coal fluctuates in the approximate range of 350 to 630 megawatts up to mid-day on Wednesday, November 26, when it abruptly drops to zero. It remains at zero through all of November 27, Thanksgiving Day.
November 28, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
mcresearch.bsky.social
Massive new solar project goes live in Utah - 685 MW. More good news for the #WesternGrid.

Interestingly, this project is not listed in any of the EIA tables. Seems like a pretty big miss.

#energysky

www.heraldextra.com/news/2025/no...
Rays of power: Utah’s largest solar plant becomes operational, set to power Eagle Mountain data center
A massive solar plant recently opened near Eagle Mountain in Utah County and will power a data center of one of the biggest technology companies in the world. Excelsior Energy Capital’s Faraday Solar ...
www.heraldextra.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
justingerdes.bsky.social
Wyoming and Basin Electric recently took a step toward building the first new coal-fired power plant in the U.S. more than a decade: cowboystatedaily.com/2025/10/27/w... via @davidcsdreporter.bsky.social h/t @alexckaufman.bsky.social 🔌💡
Wyoming, Basin Electric Take Step Toward First New Coal Plant In Over A Decade
Wyoming and Basin Electric took a step Monday toward building the first new coal-fired power plant in more than a decade. Adding a second unit to the Dry…
cowboystatedaily.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:37 PM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
California's gas generation has dropped, though not as much as some authors have claimed.
justingerdes.bsky.social Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 6d
EIA: Between January and August 2025, utility-scale solar generation in California totaled 40.3 BkWh, nearly double the 22.0 BkWh over the same period in 2020. Meanwhile, natural gas supplied 45.5 BkWh of electricity, 18% less than during the same period in 2020: www.eia.gov/todayinenerg... 🔌💡
California electricity generation by source (2020-2025, Jan-Aug) billion kilowatthours (BkWh). Source: EIA.
November 24, 2025 at 10:51 PM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
Utah's Intermountain Power Plant coal unit(s) still chugging along at ~500 MW, 2/3 of the way into the month in which they were, at last report, to be shut down (and replaced with two smaller gas units). Guess we'll see what happens on December 1. 🔌💡
Chart from U.S. Energy Information Administration (https://www.eia.gov/electricity/gridmonitor/dashboard/electric_overview/balancing_authority/LDWP) showing hourly electricity generation under the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power balancing authority over the most recent week. The chart has separate curves for different energy sources, principally gas, solar, wind, and coal, with the curve for coal highlighted here. Over the last week this curve has gone up and down in the approximate range 340 to 640 MW. (As far as I can tell, the Intermountain Power Plant in Delta, Utah, is the only coal-burning electricity source under the LADWP balancing authority.)
November 21, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
brendannyhan.bsky.social
One of the most upsetting articles I've read in a long time www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-grade...

UCSD report senate.ucsd.edu/media/740347...

We are failing a generation of kids.
When grades stop meaning anything
The UC San Diego math scandal is a warning
www.theargumentmag.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
ourworldindata.org
In the last decades, the world has made fantastic progress against extreme poverty. In 1990, 2.3 billion people lived in extreme poverty. Since then, the number of extremely poor people has declined by 1.5 *billion* people. 🧵
A stacked area chart showing the total population (split by World Bank region) living in extreme poverty, defined as living below the International Poverty Line of $3 per day. Shown from 1990 to 2025, with World Bank projections from 2026–2040. The data is adjusted for inflation and cost of living differences. Rapid progress against extreme poverty in recent decades has slowed and is projected to end. In 1990, 2.3 billion people lived in extreme poverty. Since then, the number of extremely poor people has declined by 1.5 billion people. The number of people in extreme poverty is projected to decline, from 831 million people in 2025 to 793 million people in 2030. After 2030, the number of extremely poor people is expected to increase. The data source is Lakner et al (2024), updated using the World Bank PIP (2025). The chart is licensded CC BY to Our World in Data.
November 17, 2025 at 11:24 AM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
Just noticed that Sage Geosystems has taken down this press release from August 2024, in which they stated "The first phase of this innovative project will aim to be online and operating in 2027." I still can't find any announcement of a site for the project. 🔌💡

www.sagegeosystems.com/newsroom
November 16, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
robbieandrew.bsky.social
I've added a dropdown with a bunch of explanatory notes that might be helpful and/or interesting for folks checking out the data on my "car sales" page.
robbieandrew.github.io/carsales/
Screenshot showing "Explanatory notes" on the web page: https://robbieandrew.github.io/carsales/
November 16, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
petersagal.bsky.social
To a first approximation: all of them.

I have traveled to 12-20 US cities every year for 25 years and every time I revisit one I see new public spaces, businesses, revitalized streetscapes, etc. Lots of new pedestrian areas and parks. River walks. Bike paths. Festivals. Free concerts. Etc.
mnolangray.bsky.social M. Nolan Gray 🥑 @mnolangray.bsky.social · 17d
Which US city has improved the most over the past 15 years?
November 14, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
dvschroeder.bsky.social
Let's compare the @iea.org WEO2025 electricity mix projections for 2035 to 2024.

Solar soars in all scenarios!

But even the new Stated Policies scenario projects smaller increases in wind+solar, a smaller decrease in coal, and increased gas, compared to what IEA projected last year. 🔌💡
Four side-by-side column charts, each showing world electricity generation by source. At left is a chart for 2024, when coal generated the most electricity, followed by gas, hydro, nuclear, wind, solar, bioenergy, oil, and geothermal, in that order. The other three charts are projections for the year 2035; all three show a projected decline in oil generation and modest increases in nuclear, hydro, bioenergy, and geothermal. The second and third charts show the Current Policies and Stated Policies scenarios from the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook 2025. In the Current Policies scenario, coal generation has declined only slightly in 2035, while gas, wind, and solar rise significantly. In the Stated Policies scenario, coal declines somewhat more while gas rises somewhat less and wind and solar rise somewhat more. At the far right is the Stated Policies scenario from last year's World Energy Outlook 2024, projecting a greater decline in coal, essentially no change in gas, and even greater increases in wind and solar.
November 13, 2025 at 8:10 PM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
Let's compare the @iea.org WEO2025 electricity mix projections for 2035 to 2024.

Solar soars in all scenarios!

But even the new Stated Policies scenario projects smaller increases in wind+solar, a smaller decrease in coal, and increased gas, compared to what IEA projected last year. 🔌💡
Four side-by-side column charts, each showing world electricity generation by source. At left is a chart for 2024, when coal generated the most electricity, followed by gas, hydro, nuclear, wind, solar, bioenergy, oil, and geothermal, in that order. The other three charts are projections for the year 2035; all three show a projected decline in oil generation and modest increases in nuclear, hydro, bioenergy, and geothermal. The second and third charts show the Current Policies and Stated Policies scenarios from the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook 2025. In the Current Policies scenario, coal generation has declined only slightly in 2035, while gas, wind, and solar rise significantly. In the Stated Policies scenario, coal declines somewhat more while gas rises somewhat less and wind and solar rise somewhat more. At the far right is the Stated Policies scenario from last year's World Energy Outlook 2024, projecting a greater decline in coal, essentially no change in gas, and even greater increases in wind and solar.
November 13, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
rustneversleeps.bsky.social
Listening to @volts.wtf recent panel/podcast with @mliebreich.bsky.social , discussing his "Pragmatic Climate Reset", published in two parts at BNEF last September.

Michael mentioned his "simplest energy model ever" - just 4 parameters - and I decided to sketch up and add emissions and temps.
Volts podcast of "Michael Liebreich on a 'pragmatic climate reset'" by David Roberts - Substack link https://substack.com/@drvolts/note/p-174079134?r=26ndw Plot of Liebreich's "world's simplest energy model", all of 4 lines long, here plotting 2025-66 GDP, Final Energy Supply/Demand, and Clean Energy and Fossil composition of final energy
November 11, 2025 at 12:55 AM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
Great article about the move-fast-and-break-things faction of the nuclear revival movement. Centered in Silicon Valley but with connections to Utah and Idaho. 🔌💡

(I confess that after hitting the paywall and striking out at my university library I read this article on a possibly disreputable site.)
solarchase.bsky.social Jenny Chase @solarchase.bsky.social · Nov 1
This is a phenomenal long read. The sort of article it's incredibly difficult to get permission and resources to write nowadays.
mollytaft.com molly taft @mollytaft.com · Oct 31
bloomberg ran an absolutely killer investigation this week into the Silicon Valley + Koch/Abundance forces running the show on nuclear deregulation this year:
November 10, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
jmelville.science
please don't @ me like "actually cerium is unique among the lanthanides for its +4 oxidation state"

⚗️🧪 #chemsky
A simplified, stylized periodic table of elements where large groups of elements are color-coded. Hydrogen (H) is isolated. Group 1 (alkali metals) is labeled "BOOM!". Group 2 (alkaline earth metals) is "rocks & sand & glass & stuff". The transition metals are split into sections: "the foundations of human civilization," "catalysts & superalloys," "ooh, shiny!," "expensive," and "heavy metal poisoning." Technetium (Tc) is boxed separately. The p-block is also grouped: "chips (not tasty kind)," "organic chemistry," and "useful for poisoning your husband." The noble gases are labeled "n o p e." The heaviest elements in the s-block and p-block are labeled "cancer 2" and "cancer alley," with the exception of Bismuth. The transactinides are labeled "more physics than chemistry." The bottom f-block (lanthanides and actinides) is also labeled. The lanthanides are "except for Pm these are all basically the same element," with Promethium (Pm) boxed. The actinides are labeled "rxtors & bombs" and "you probably work at Los Alamos."
November 8, 2025 at 10:23 AM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
Finally some news about Utah's largest solar farm! 🔌💡

Says here it came online Sep 30 and they held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov 5. Not sure why they waited a month to make the announcement.

685 MW DC, 525 MW AC

www.utahbusiness.com/press-releas...
dvschroeder.bsky.social Dan Schroeder @dvschroeder.bsky.social · Mar 5
Paid a visit to Utah's nearly completed Faraday Solar Project. It'll be the largest solar farm in the state (>600MW) yet it's kinda under the radar, not yet listed at EIA or SEIA. Supposed to come online later this year and sell the power to Meta for its server farms. See alt-text for details. 🔌💡
Google Maps satellite image of Faraday Solar Project, located at the south end of the Cedar Valley in southwestern Utah County, Utah, about 10 miles south of the town of Fairfield. Google Earth says this image dates from late June 2024. The project measures about 3 miles by 1.5 miles, with an area of 4.8 square miles (12.3 square km or 3000 acres). View looking eastward through the middle of the Faraday Solar Project. As far as I could tell from the road that runs along the project's western edge, all the panels are now in place. Tumbleweeds are piled high against a corner of the fence surrounding the new Faraday Solar Project. This photo looks northward from the southwest corner of the facility. The southern edge of the new Faraday Solar Project runs along these high-voltage transmission lines. This photo looks ESE from the project's southwest corner. Behind the camera a new substation is under construction.
November 7, 2025 at 10:02 PM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
I can't say how much of this article is accurate, but I do know the Sierra Club never had a "singular focus on climate change".

The Club's historical mission was to "explore, enjoy, and protect" public lands. Later it took on public health issues and eventually climate—rather awkwardly.
Screen capture of headline and sub-head from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/us/politics/sierra-club-social-justice.html. "The Sierra Club Embraced Social Justice. Then It Tore Itself Apart. The environmental group gave up its singular focus on climate change for a broader agenda. The ensuing internal strife left it weakened as it takes on the Trump administration."
November 7, 2025 at 6:14 PM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
Looks like both of the incumbents have lost to their challengers in the Ogden city-wide council races—despite endorsements from the mayor and what's left of the local paper. Hard to say exactly why, but I'm glad we'll have some younger voices adding fresh perspectives.
Screen capture from election results page for two nonpartisan Ogden City Council races. As of election night, the results show that Alicia Washington leads Marcia White by more than 10 percentage points in the Seat A race, while Kevin Lundell leads Bart Blair by more than 18 percentage points in the Seat B race.
November 5, 2025 at 12:09 PM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
A mid-day autumn scene in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains just east of Ogden, Utah. In the distance, a steep grassy slope, dotted with brown-leaved clumps of trees and shrubs, rises to steeper talus slopes and then tan-colored cliffs, below a clear blue sky. In the foreground is a newly paved and striped asphalt parking lot, big enough to hold 60 parked cars, edged with concrete curb and gutter work. The lot is empty except for two small treaded earth-moving machines.
November 3, 2025 at 4:55 AM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
Interesting patterns in this map of under-construction solar farms. 🔌💡 seia.org/research-res...
Map of the contiguous 48 US states with a red dot for every utility-scale solar farm currently under construction. Dots are sized by solar farm capacity. There is a major concentration of dots in Texas. A notable band of dots runs from Michigan southward into Indiana, western Ohio, southern Illinois, and down the Mississippi river into northeastern Arkansas.There are also significant numbers across the southwest, from southern California through southern Arizona and New Mexico, and in Florida and the mid-Atlantic region. A few dots are scattered across other western states and Minnesota. Notable gaps. There are gaps with relatively few solar farms under construction in the northeastern states, the southern Appalachian area, the northern Great Plains, and much of the Northwest.
October 31, 2025 at 11:36 PM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
"For many 25-year-olds living in their childhood bedrooms, moving to a single-family house would be entirely out of reach. What they need to make progress in their personal and professional lives is a small apartment in the place where their career and social opportunities are located."
ebwhamilton.bsky.social Emily Hamilton @ebwhamilton.bsky.social · Oct 30
Pro-housing voices from the right of center are increasingly focused on a "we need housing For Families" framing.

In a new column I explain why broad-based liberalization, especially for inexpensive types of housing, is important for helping people start families: www.governing.com/urban/to-sup...
To Support Families, Repair the Housing Ladder
The cost of housing is one big barrier to family formation. But simply building more single family homes isn't the answer.
www.governing.com
October 31, 2025 at 5:07 PM
dvschroeder.bsky.social
Great reporting from Bryan!

Utah has no contribution limits, but Ogden enacted limits after a scandal in 2007, when Mayor Godfrey and his allies solicited contributions to a "nonprofit" from banks, hospitals, other businesses, even the Governor's office, then laundered the money into campaigns.
schotthappens.com Bryan Schott @schotthappens.com · Oct 30
Read my latest story investigating how a political action committee tried to funnel $14K in campaign donations from an Arizona Christian nationalist pastor to an Ogden City Council candidate in a scheme to circumvent campaign contribution limits.
utahpoliticalwatch.news Utah Political Watch @utahpoliticalwatch.news · Oct 30
Records show a PAC funneled $14K in campaign donations from an Arizona Christian nationalist pastor to an Ogden City Council candidate in a scheme to get around campaign contribution limits.

www.utahpoliticalwatch.news/pac-routed-1...
October 31, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Reposted by Dan Schroeder
paulosanalysis.com
Good accurate coverage of the new @berkeleylabemp.bsky.social and Brattle Group report on rising electricity prices in the NYT.

(Here’s a new drinking game: drink every time you see “spike” and “skyrocket.”)

🔌💡

Gift link-
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/c...
Why the Price of Electricity Is Spiking Around the Country
www.nytimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:05 PM