Publication Items

Electric Shadyland — the Riddle of Rising Energy Bills [1]

While the Iran war has certainly brought on soaring oil prices, the rise in residential electricity costs may stem as much from the actions of a labyrinthine complex of federal and state utility regulators, writes the latest TipSheet. Start unraveling the factors here, with the backstory, and more than a dozen questions to ask and resources to tap.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [3]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Infrastructure [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [7]
Policy [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Electric Shadyland — the Riddle of Rising Energy Bills [1]
Decarbonizing Energy Systems With Clean Firm Power [11]

Solar and wind power are critical for combating climate change, but some energy experts warn they won’t be enough. Their vision for an emissions-free grid depends on technologies ranging from long-duration batteries to nuclear reactors. Journalist Nicolás Rivero on clean firm power’s potential, the challenges ahead and how Big Tech is driving the pursuit of always-on zero-carbon electricity.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [12]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [13]
Economy & Business [14]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Government [15]
Infrastructure [5]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [16]
Policy [8]
Pollution [17]
Science [18]
Technology [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [20]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [21]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [22]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Decarbonizing Energy Systems With Clean Firm Power [11]
Extremely Hot Weather Cooks Up Unusually Awful Air Pollution [23]

Summertime and the livin' is smoggy. American air may be clearer now than when the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, but pollutants still abound. Heat and sunlight stoke chemical reactions that exacerbate health hazards. And worsening wildfires mix in harmful smoke. The latest TipSheet has more than a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [24]
Air [25]
Chemicals [26]
Climate Change [13]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Health [27]
Government [15]
Health [28]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [7]
Pollution [17]
Transportation [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
International [30]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Extremely Hot Weather Cooks Up Unusually Awful Air Pollution [23]
Taming the Freight Beast [31]

The U.S. freight system delivers significant environmental impacts nationwide, especially in states that host major rail-and-road hubs and seaports. Meanwhile, new federal laws and policies are making it harder to curtail pollution generated by freight trucks, trains and warehouses. Journalist John Lippert looks at how the public, private and nonprofit sectors are rising to this challenge.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [12]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [24]
Air [25]
Climate Change [13]
Consumer [3]
Economy & Business [14]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Health [27]
Environmental Justice [32]
Environmental Politics [33]
Government [15]
Health [28]
Infrastructure [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [7]
Policy [8]
Pollution [17]
Technology [19]
Transportation [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
California [34]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [20]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Taming the Freight Beast [31]
Gas Prices Still Fuel Local Environmental Stories [35]

The spike in prices at the pump in recent months, thanks largely to the U.S.’s war with Iran, offers energy and environment reporters numerous local reporting angles, writes the latest TipSheet. A quick perspective and backstory, then more than a dozen story ideas to pursue, smart questions to ask and useful reporting resources to tap.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [3]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Politics [33]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [36]
Policy [8]
Transportation [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Gas Prices Still Fuel Local Environmental Stories [35]
Databases on Data Centers, Brockovich and Beyond [37]

An explosion of new artificial intelligence data centers means potential trouble, as they hoover up power and water, and spew global warming gases. It’s a story with national and global ramifications, certainly. But it’s also one that can be reported locally. Reporter’s Toolbox offers up some handy databases for environmental journalists to find data center stories in their communities.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [24]
Climate Change [13]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Infrastructure [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
Planning & Growth [39]
Technology [19]
Water & Oceans [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Databases on Data Centers, Brockovich and Beyond [37]
Great Lakes Steelmaking at a Crossroads [41]

The Great Lakes region is a top steel producer, but its coal-fired steel mills are also a major source of planet-warming emissions and health-harming pollution. Climate advocates, community members and workers have been pushing to clean up these facilities for decades. Now, foreign funding offers new hope for revitalizing and decarbonizing the region’s steel industry. Canary Media’s Maria Gallucci explains.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [12]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [24]
Air [25]
Climate Change [13]
Economy & Business [14]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Politics [33]
Government [15]
Health [28]
Natural Resources [36]
Pollution [17]
Technology [19]
Water & Oceans [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [20]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [42]
International [30]
Asia [43]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Great Lakes Steelmaking at a Crossroads [41]
What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 2 [44]

Is the United States in the midst of a “nuclear renaissance”? This two-part Backgrounder explores the question, with a look at next-gen reactor design, the (lack of) independence of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and what to do with nuclear waste. Plus, see Part 1 [45] on the government role in developing nuclear power and an earlier effort at industry rebirth.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [46]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [47]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Politics [33]
Laws & Regulations [7]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [16]
Policy [8]
Technology [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
International [30]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 2 [44]
What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 1 [45]

Is the United States in the midst of a “nuclear renaissance”? This two-part Issue Backgrounder explores that question, beginning in Part 1 with a look at the government’s part in developing nuclear power, including through subsidies, as well as why the new reactors built earlier in the 2000s didn’t really make the case for the industry’s rebirth.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [46]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [47]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Politics [33]
Laws & Regulations [7]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [16]
Policy [8]
Technology [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
International [30]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 1 [45]
#SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [48]

SEJournal is providing full coverage of all eight of the day-long tours from the annual Society of Environmental Journalists’ conference, April 15-18, in Chicago. In Part 2, contributors Meg Duff [49], Nathaniel Eisen [50], Nhung Nguyen [51] and Marlowe Starling [52] provide detailed reports from tours focused on the transitioning steel industry, microgrids, climate-friendly crop practices and evolving Midwestern agricultural systems.

Also check out the first round of tour coverage and read all the great work [48] from our team of early-career freelance journalists, part of SEJournal’s live #SEJ2026 Live conference reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [53]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [24]
Agriculture [54]
Air [25]
Biodiversity [55]
Chemicals [26]
Climate Change [13]
Consumer [3]
Economy & Business [14]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Health [27]
Environmental Justice [32]
Environmental Politics [33]
Environmental Studies [56]
Food [57]
Forests [58]
Government [15]
Health [28]
Infrastructure [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [7]
Natural Resources [36]
People & Population [59]
Planning & Growth [39]
Policy [8]
Pollution [17]
Science [18]
Technology [19]
Transportation [29]
Waste [60]
Water & Oceans [40]
Wildlife [61]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [20]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about #SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [48]

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