"Currently, 19% of electricity generated in the United States comes from nuclear power plants, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That represents about half of the carbon-free electricity generation in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Energy."
"Unlike a standard oil and gas lease, which typically comes with a 3 to 5-year term during which a successful well may or may not be drilled, this solar lease comes with a 35-year term that includes a certain stream of annual income. It won’t make the rancher fabulously wealthy overnight like an oil gusher can, but then, oil gushers have never been a feature of this particular part of the vast Texas landscape."
"What could worsen fluctuations even further are extreme weather events, which have become more common since the 1970s. That not only accentuates the highs and lows of natural-gas demand but also can affect supply. Colder-than-expected winter days have already caused more freeze-offs in natural-gas supply in recent years, notes Mr. Rubin. In 2021, a cold blast hitting Texas and neighboring states resulted in the largest monthly decline in U.S. natural-gas production ever and a 70-fold increase in local prices."
Shawn Regan writes about the flaws of the Endangered Species Act in Reason. “As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act later this year, it’s worth asking how the act can be reformed to better accomplish its primary goal: to recover species. After all, endangered species have it bad enough. We should...
Danielle Butcher Franz writes in RealClearEnergy about the importance of critical minerals in addressing climate change. “We must continue to unlock American resources responsibly, with attention to environmental protection. Right under our feet, we have incredible reserves of rare earth minerals required for solar panels and electric vehicle batteries. Allowing mining projects here at home...
The greens use 92% less water than conventional crops
"To date, thousands of hollows carved by Hollowhog tools have been installed around Australia, with the technology in use by state and federal government agencies, as well as land care groups."
Cooperation to modernize permitting and regulations for nuclear power is becoming increasingly bipartisan
"Centrus’s pioneering cascade uses gas centrifuge machines, which feed uranium hexafluoride (UF6)—heated to a gaseous state—into a rotor inside the centrifuge machine. A rotor spinning at high speed inside a steel casing uses centrifugal force to concentrate the heavier U-238 isotopes at the outer wall of the rotor and the lighter U-235 isotopes toward the rotor center. The streams are then fed to the next machines in a “cascade” to achieve the desired level of enrichment. Centrus will use a 4.95% LEU feed material for its planned HALEU 16 AC100M-centrifuge cascade. It suggests roughly 85% of the separative work units (SWU)—a measure of enrichment needed to produce HALEU—is already contained in the LEU feed material."
"What about storing energy for utilities? Form Energy in Somerville, Massachusetts, has developed a gigantic iron-air battery that it says can store more than 100 hours of solar and wind electricity. To discharge energy, oxygen entering the battery produces hydroxide ions that rust the iron pellets, sending electrons to the circuit. Recharging reverses the process, turning rust back into metal and releasing oxygen bubbles. The company projects that its battery packs will cost less than $20 per kilowatt-hour, making them competitive with legacy power plants."
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