Working on a just energy transition Formerly: NREL, University of Wyoming Currently: Facilitator and policy strategist Enviro Humanities PhD Book on water justice Based in the rural Westhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mj5wiryykk2yOne plausible reason data centers elicit more outrage than fossil fuel infrastructure is a problem of visibility, of "materializing" fossil fuel infrastructure beyond sites of extraction (h/t energy humanities scholarship). Data centers are just more tangible. [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Apr 2026 18:15 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj5wiryykk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mj5v7evw4k2aIt is striking to me that pro-data center officials are experiencing more violence than fossil fuel execs. Not sure what to think of this yet.10 Apr 2026 17:52 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj5v7evw4k2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mj2yq6cuik2gPlacing data centers within a broader corpus of large infrastructure that harms local communities but purportedly contributes to a “greater good” (dams/mines/pipelines), they aren’t visible technical marvels and it’s very hard to craft disingenuous stories about their real benefits (which are few).09 Apr 2026 14:17 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj2yq6cuik2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mj2yq6cuik2gPlacing data centers within a broader corpus of large infrastructure that harms local communities but purportedly contributes to a “greater good” (dams/mines/pipelines), they aren’t visible technical marvels and it’s very hard to craft disingenuous stories about their real benefits (which are few).09 Apr 2026 14:17 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj2yq6cuik2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mizytpyg7s2lSource tells me the TPUSA SRP candidates are stable. Please god09 Apr 2026 04:46 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mizytpyg7s2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mizytpyg7s2lSource tells me the TPUSA SRP candidates are stable. Please god09 Apr 2026 04:46 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mizytpyg7s2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3miyhztre4s2kThe coal state/community to data center hub is something to keep an eye on.08 Apr 2026 14:13 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3miyhztre4s2khttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3miwxjdqlfk2zIn the past week I: Learned we were awarded $600k to do some really exciting work on transmission permitting. Hired a brilliant policy analyst to support my work in the Intermountain West. Worried constantly about nuclear war, genocide, and food and fuel scarcity Installed a new garbage disposal07 Apr 2026 23:44 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3miwxjdqlfk2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3miwu52oks223Journalism schools around the country should design a new course called “How to not be a transactional piece of shit” centered around Jake Sherman.07 Apr 2026 22:44 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3miwu52oks223https://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mivxanwwz22qEven Ezra Klein doesn’t think Trump’s doing nuclear threats the right way.07 Apr 2026 14:07 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mivxanwwz22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mivugyaev22qI’m thinking a lot about people who have been arguing since early 2025 that the military would do the right thing in the event of a fascist takeover… as they now gratuitously commit war crimes in Iran.07 Apr 2026 13:17 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mivugyaev22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mihn3mptls2rSo SAVE ending is going to destroy our finances. Super awesome.01 Apr 2026 21:28 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mihn3mptls2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mifkhqei222zI can’t imagine what it’s like to be searching for a job in climate and clean energy right now; there scores of smart and dedicated people and too few roles. I’m moving toward completion of our hiring process and it’s kind of heartbreaking to not be able to hire more than one person.01 Apr 2026 01:36 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mifkhqei222zhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mhpaufft2s2cA sense I think I’ll never shake is anxiety I’m not doing enough on climate. I felt like that in academia and at a national lab and now as I work on transmission/grid stuff. But I think that just comes with a problem so enormous it’s tough to see measurable progress in the near-term.23 Mar 2026 04:45 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhpaufft2s2chttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mhoyck5yks2cHonestly wondering if I should take this work trip tomorrow.23 Mar 2026 02:12 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhoyck5yks2chttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mho376fhwc2lI'm sure unpaid TSA agents are super eager to collaborate with and train currently paid ICE agents on airport security.22 Mar 2026 17:31 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mho376fhwc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mhmcmef53c2gAnybody else going to RES in Vegas? [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Mar 2026 00:38 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhmcmef53c2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mhm3qsrwac22Super stoked to fly this week.21 Mar 2026 22:36 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhm3qsrwac22https://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mhdtom26dc2jI used to teach a unit on UFW in my environmental justice class focused fully on Dolores Huerta (secondary theme in the course was women in the EJ movement) and my students argued this even before the monstrous Chavez allegations came to light. [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Mar 2026 15:50 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhdtom26dc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mhdtom26dc2jI used to teach a unit on UFW in my environmental justice class focused fully on Dolores Huerta (secondary theme in the course was women in the EJ movement) and my students argued this even before the monstrous Chavez allegations came to light. [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Mar 2026 15:50 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhdtom26dc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mhb6xq2rpk24I’m not feeling great about the circulating argument that data centers are inevitable, so we may as well tap them to pay for grid expansion. While that may seem shrewd, the notion that infrastructure is “inevitable” has led to a lot of unjust outcomes for hosting communities and beyond (see: dams).17 Mar 2026 14:34 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhb6xq2rpk24https://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mhb6xq2rpk24I’m not feeling great about the circulating argument that data centers are inevitable, so we may as well tap them to pay for grid expansion. While that may seem shrewd, the notion that infrastructure is “inevitable” has led to a lot of unjust outcomes for hosting communities and beyond (see: dams).17 Mar 2026 14:34 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhb6xq2rpk24https://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mgqq7cm76s2xThis is funny because the DOE’s socials have been by far the worst of all the government accounts except the WH during Trump 2.0. [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Mar 2026 01:27 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgqq7cm76s2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mgqpxisgfs2xSo overconfident, condescending, verbose without saying anything at all, quotes inaccurately from memory, funded for way too long, still likely to land a tenure track job anyway? [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Mar 2026 01:23 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgqpxisgfs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mgqpgxvze22xExhibit A: [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Mar 2026 01:14 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgqpgxvze22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mgo4225qbs24The world is burning but found out we we have a large escrow surplus (which, wtf?) so maybe we can buy a lot of canned goods to get us through the apocalypse if the check comes on time.10 Mar 2026 00:21 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgo4225qbs24https://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mgnpz3gzv22xThe hand of the market not looking so invisible now09 Mar 2026 20:46 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgnpz3gzv22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mglqf2exm22rWe are going to hear people argue that the silver lining of the illegal war in Iran will be an accelerated energy transition and that the coming humanitarian crises will be worth it. Those people are not to be trusted and in fact deserve your scorn.09 Mar 2026 01:47 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mglqf2exm22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/menrywy.bsky.social/post/3mgjfberloc2xIf you say you care deeply about the energy transition but then openly despise people who live where critical infrastructure must be built to ensure that transition without trying to understand their experiences and perspectives, then you are just a deeply unserious person with a fucking podcast. [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 Mar 2026 03:23 +0000at://did:plc:etbsjtghulp2irin5ch3nro6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgjfberloc2x