Nuclear power is back in vogue. Surging power demand driven by electrification and, most notably, the incredible energy needs of data centers has tech companies and utilities not just flirting with a nuclear power revival but ponying up. With new data centers poised to consume the power of entire cities, the race is on to...
10 European startups driving energy innovation with software and AI
Energy innovation in Europe is increasingly driven by advancements in software and artificial intelligence, which are playing a crucial role in transforming the continent’s energy systems. As Europe targets climate neutrality by 2050, modernising the electricity grid to incorporate renewable energy sources and manage decentralised energy production is essential. Generative AI and software lead this...
Gas prices are volatile. Here’s why
Gas prices are inching closer to the $3 per gallon mark just ahead of Election Day. The current U.S. average gas price has fallen to $3.13 per gallon from $3.50 a gallon at this time last year, according to AAA, bringing relief to many states. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) anticipates national gasoline prices to average $3.20 in...
SCOTUS Stumbles: EPA’s Power Plant Rule Is Inflicting Irreparable Harm
Last week, the Supreme Court issued an order that left many in disbelief. The Court denied several motions for stay (a legal pause) regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean Power Plan (CPP) 2.0 rule after granting a stay of the original CPP in 2016 and elaborating on the Major Questions Doctrine in overturning the CPP on its merits in West Virginia v. EPA in...
Low-Energy Fridays: Why is it so hard for the government to build EV charging stations?
As Mike Tyson famously said, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. He wasn’t talking about electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, of course, but the quote might as well apply to challenges the Biden administration has faced in expanding the nation’s network of EV charging infrastructure. The administration started with big plans....
What To Know About The Massive Lithium Discovery In Arkansas—And What It Means For EVs
Researchers have discovered a collection of lithium—a primary component in lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries—in Arkansas that, if recovered, could far exceed the projected world demand for lithium in car batteries in 2030. There might be 5.1 million to 19 million tons of lithium in the Smackover Formation brines in southern Arkansas, researchers at the United...
With proper management techniques, cattle herds can help increase plant biodiversity
It’s 7:30 am and the sun is finally warming up a chilly September fog. Just west of Sprague, Washington, a wide pasture is empty, except for a white pickup truck snaking its way across the dead grass. The truck stops at a random spot, a few yards away from a bleached cow skull. It must have...
As coal plants shut in Romania, some miners transition to green energy while others are reluctant
PETRILA, Romania — For many years, Sebastian Tirinticǎ worked in a coal mine, just like his father and grandfather before him. These days, Tirinticǎ, now 38, is largely surrounded by solar panels and wind turbines as he travels across Romania to train former coal workers and others for jobs in renewable energies. It’s been a...
Texas Grid Chief Says Big Tech Must Pay More for Power Upgrades
Technology giants developing big artificial intelligence data centers in Texas will need to pay more for electricity infrastructure upgrades to prevent those costs from burdening households and other businesses, according to the state grid operator’s chief. Affordable power is “at the core” of the conversation that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid operator,...
The real reason billion-dollar disasters like Hurricane Helene are growing more common
It rises like a mountain, up and to the right, and it has become one of the most potent illustrations of the perils of man-made global warming. It’s a chart showing the number of billion-dollar weather disasters that have struck the United States since 1980. When the toll is tallied from hurricanes Helene and Milton,...