Articles by Mark Chediak, Will Wade and David R. Baker

Huge Texas Blaze Shows Power-Line Fires Are a Widespread Threat

Massive wildfires sparked by power lines used to be a California problem, one many utility executives considered safely confined to the Golden State. No more. Texas officials on Thursday blamed the state’s largest-ever fire on electrical lines sparking in dry …

Huge Texas Blaze Shows Power-Line Fires Are a Widespread Threat

Massive wildfires sparked by power lines used to be a California problem, one many utility executives considered safely confined to the Golden State. No more. Texas officials on Thursday blamed the state’s largest-ever fire on electrical lines sparking in dry …

The Tiny Insurance Company Standing Between Taxpayers and a Costly Coal Industry Bailout

In a quiet commercial strip in an upscale suburb of Nashville, there’s a single-story brick building housing a company that may determine whether another billion-dollar taxpayer bailout of the coal industry is needed. It is the main office of Indemnity …

Storm Ian Weakens as Millions Left Without Power

Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm as it continued to move northeastward across central Florida, with a massive and deadly surge of water and catastrophic winds that are poised to make it one of the costliest storms in US …

US Starts Criminal Probe Into PG&E Role in California Wildfire

Federal officials have initiated a criminal investigation into PG&E Corp.’s potential role in starting California’s largest wildfire of the year. On Sept. 24, the US Forest Service removed one of the utility’s transmission poles from the site in Placer County …

Lingering La Niña Weather Phenomenon Boosts Threat of More Atlantic Hurricanes

The odds of La Niña hanging around for a few more months are climbing, bolstering chances of more storms as the Atlantic hurricane season reaches its peak. There’s an 80% chance the waters across the equatorial Pacific Ocean will stay …

U.S. Officially Becomes 1st Nation to Exit Paris Climate Pact

The U.S. has officially become the first nation to quit the Paris climate agreement, even as the outcome of the country’s presidential race remains undetermined. President Donald Trump, who’s fighting for re-election, moved to withdraw from the landmark environmental accord …

Number of Landfalls of Big U.S. Storms Could Break 1916 Record

Hurricane Sally’s historic flooding of Florida and Alabama this week marked the eighth named storm to strike the continental U.S. this year, leaving the tally just one short of a record that dates back more than a century. With 10 …

Nuclear Plants Allowed to Extend Workers’ Hours, Delay Inspections

Nuclear power plants can now implement longer shifts for workers and delay some inspections, raising concerns that as the coronavirus pandemic upends basic operations the industry may be bending the rules too far. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is already allowing …

Why Utilities Are Turning to Bond Market to Pay for Natural Disaster Losses

Fires and floods are sending some of the nation’s largest utilities to the bond market to cover huge, unexpected bills. California’s PG&E Corp., which was forced into bankruptcy a year ago after its equipment sparked the deadliest wildfire in state …