Jeff Brady
Jeff Brady is a National Desk Correspondent based in Philadelphia, where he covers energy issues and climate change. Brady helped establish NPR's environment and energy collaborative which brings together NPR and Member station reporters from across the country to cover the big stories involving the natural world.
Brady approaches stories from the consumer side of the light switch and the gas pump in an effort to demystify an energy system that can seem complicated and opaque. Brady has reported on natural gas utilities fighting to preserve their business in a world more concerned about climate change, the long saga over the Keystone XL oil pipeline, the closing of a light bulb factory in Pennsylvania and how gas ranges pollute homes and make climate change worse.
In 2017 his reporting showed a history of racism and sexism that have made it difficult for the oil business to diversify its workforce. A union at the center of that reporting now faces a class-action lawsuit from its Black members.
In 2011 Brady led NPR's coverage of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State—from the night legendary football coach Joe Paterno was fired to the trial where Sandusky was found guilty.
In 2005, Brady was among the NPR reporters who covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His reporting on flooded cars left behind after the storm exposed efforts to stall the implementation of a national car titling system. Today, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System is operational and the Department of Justice estimates it could save car buyers up to $11 billion a year.
Before coming to NPR in September 2003, Brady was a reporter at Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) in Portland. He has also worked in commercial television as an anchor and a reporter, and in commercial radio as a talk-show host and reporter.
Brady graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Southern Oregon State College (now Southern Oregon University). In 2018 SOU honored Brady with its annual "Distinguished Alumni" award.
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Shalanda Baker sees energy policy as the next domain for advancing civil rights. She says too many communities of color have experienced the harm - but not the benefits - of energy development. -
Thousands of Dutch citizens joined environmental groups to charge the oil giant with endangering lives. The first of its kind decision could pressure other companies to take aggressive climate action. -
President Biden is hosting a virtual climate summit to show support for the Paris climate deal. The hope is that his aggressive plan to cut U.S. carbon emissions will push other countries to do more.
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\Biden's massive infrastructure proposal aims to shift the U.S. away from fossil fuels. But much more will be needed to meet his goal of making the entire power sector carbon neutral by 2035.
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Officials say expanding offshore wind will create tens of thousands of jobs and help reduce climate warming emissions. Multiple departments will coordinate to sell new leases and approve permits. -
The Texas blackout is a reminder that climate-driven extreme weather stresses the U.S.'s power system in many ways. Much is needed to harden the grid for the future as the number of outages increase. -
Natural gas utilities face a bleak future in a world increasingly concerned about climate change. An NPR investigation shows how they work to block local climate action and protect their business. -
Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm says "good-paying jobs" can help zero out U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But some Republicans are skeptical they can help fossil fuel workers. -
This likely means the end of the $8 billion pipeline, a years-long project that would have carried oil sands crude from Alberta, Canada, to the American Gulf Coast. -
Congress has long struggled to pass new laws addressing climate change, even ones with bipartisan support. But the end-of-year spending package includes an energy bill with major climate measures.
