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.…