John Cushman sees that even big oil companies in Canada have the ability to produce solar and nuclear electricity. As the author of Keystone and Beyond, Cushman tells the definitive account of the Keystone XL pipeline saga. He began his investigative career as a writer and editor in Washington, D.C. in 1978. Cushman has written extensively about energy, the environment, industry and military affairs, also covering financial and transportation beats, and editing articles across the full spectrum of national and international policy for the Washington bureau of The New York Times.

Cushman served on the board of governors of the National Press Club and was its president in the year 2000. He has taught brief courses in media and environmental law at the Vermont Law School.