An activist advocating for a community's energy rights turns entrepreneur reconceiving a city's power structure.What if you could choose between brewing your morning coffee by burning coal or harnessing solar power? For the past 15 years, Paul Fenn has worked to divert control of the energy supply away from the utility companies and into consumers' hands. His core concept: Community Choice Aggregation, which gives residents in certain districts the legal authority to amass their individual buying power to purchase energy for their households from alternative sources instead of buying individually from the power company's coal plants.In 1994, as the 28-year-old director of the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Energy, Fenn-influenced by Nobel Prize-winning economist Ronald Coase's ideas of incorporating economics into environmentalism-penned statewide legislation that would become CCA. His bill passed, and Cape Cod was the first region to enact CCA. Today, more than 1 million Americans receive energy through CCA, from Martha's Vineyard to northeast Ohio.California passed CCA legislation seven years ago. And while cities like San Francisco are still working on alternative energy–provider logistics, the 2002 California bill Fenn authored incorporated unprecedented addendums, such as opening up access to utility meter data. That information allows potential energy distributors to cost-effectively identify and court customers by consumption habits.San Francisco called in Fenn and his energy consultancy firm Local Power to implement its first CCA. The company set an impressive target: to provide 51 percent renewable energy to the city's residences and businesses by 2017. "We set this schedule as our standard because of the severity of the climate crisis," Fenn says. A recently confirmed solar public works project, which combines energy generated largely from San Francisco rooftops with power from heat capture, wind, and batteries, should help in reaching that goal and ensuring that San Franciscans will soon decide where their energy comes from. Says Fenn: "We want to connect people to what they want."Photos by Mike Linksvayer (via Flickr)Return to the interactive site
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Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.