Californians could soon find it easier and cheaper to install rooftop solar, home batteries, and energy-saving heat pumps and heat-pump water heaters. Late last month, the state Legislature passed two first-in-the-nation bills that would streamline permitting and inspections for these clean energy home projects.…

Last November, Jonathan Cohen needed a new water heater for the house he and his wife had recently purchased. The labor economist at Amazon was keen to get a heat-pump water heater , a superefficient electric technology that could save him money on his utility bills. Thorough by nature, he emailed 12 plumbers to ask…

Californians could soon put solar panel kits on balconies and in backyards to lower their electric bills — without utility approval. On Wednesday, state lawmakers passed the Plug and Play Solar Act (Senate Bill 868) to legalize balcony solar , a form of DIY clean energy that’s taken off in Germany . The bill, which…

Heat pumps are a key way to get fossil fuels out of buildings — and the tech recently notched a win in the U.S. housing market. 2025 marked the first year that over half the apartment buildings constructed nationwide came equipped with the überefficient electric appliances , according to U.S. Census Bureau data .…

California’s Democratic candidate for governor, Xavier Becerra, is borrowing a page from Australia with a new plan to give state residents free electricity during certain parts of the day. Last week, Becerra unveiled a proposal to offer up to two free hours of electricity per day, starting with low-income families.…

In many ways the world's oldest cheddar-maker hews to tradition. Since 1833, Barber’s Farmhouse Cheesemakers has operated from the rolling green pastures of southwest England, milking grass-fed cows and fermenting the milk with microbial starters passed down for generations. That heritage has led to award-winning…

Canary Media’s Electrified Life column shares real-world tales, tips, and insights to demystify what individuals can do to shift their homes and lives to clean electric power. When the power goes out, a home battery can keep you going. Energy storage, often paired with rooftop solar , has taken off in the U.S. in…

New Jersey is offering data centers an unorthodox way to get the power they need: by bankrolling home energy upgrades. Last week, Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) signed a bill that will create a first-of-its-kind program to incentivize data centers to secure clean capacity by reducing demand elsewhere on the grid. Data…

Do you live in the U.S. and want balcony solar ? A new initiative could help you get a deal on one of these small but mighty systems that plug into a standard outlet and push clean power into your home. Today, California-based nonprofit Bright Saver announced it’s selling zero-markup DIY solar kits starting at about…

Energy-efficiency standards can make it more expensive to construct new buildings, but they save money for residents in the long run. In a new analysis, the Trump administration ignored the second half of that equation — a move that energy experts fear could undermine efficiency efforts nationwide. Late last month,…

Vermont just got its biggest delivery of superefficient manufactured homes — the latest example of how a pioneering state program can lower energy bills for residents of this type of affordable housing. The all-electric, heat-pump-equipped homes slash energy use by more than half compared with new conventional…

Canary Media’s ​“ Electrified Life ” column shares real-world tales, tips, and insights to demystify what individuals can do to shift their homes and lives to clean electric power. Would you pay more for a home with a heat pump? You can bet I would. I’d gladly fork over more money to bypass a gas or oil furnace,…

Apartment and condo dwellers of New York have long been unable to tap solar power at home to lower their energy bills. But that could soon change. Late last month, state legislators passed the Solar Up Now New York (SUNNY) Act to legalize panels that plug into a standard outlet and start producing electricity.…

Last year, Marie Tai needed a better way to keep her condo cool. Her window air-conditioning units were borderline ineffective, even running at full blast. Summers have been getting more intense in Tai’s Boston neighborhood because of a rapidly warming climate, and she had just adopted a 16-year-old cat named…

Canary Media’s ​“ Electrified Life ” column shares real-world tales, tips, and insights to demystify what individuals can do to shift their homes and lives to clean electric power. A year ago, Crystal Bright was freaking out. The Charlotte, North Carolina–based interior designer had just separated from her…