The Department of Energy is critical to advancing energy innovation, strengthening American competitiveness, and accelerating climate progress. Reforms will bring greater oversight, transparency and, effectiveness to the agency’s operations.
Post
President Biden Turns It Up to 11
Biden performed well above already low expectations but if he doesn’t alter the fundamentals of the 2024 race dramatically and quickly, this State of the Union will be his last.
Post
What’s the Future of Direct Air Capture?
While the technology is still in its relative infancy, cost will be a determining factor for the future of DAC. Policies that increase competition and instill market discipline will help.
Post
The Ideology and Reality of Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage
"In the future, we will see plane tickets that are carbon neutral thanks to carbon dioxide removal, and natural gas power plants that have no pollution at all. These are opportunities to be welcomed, rather than solutions to be shunned for the unforgivable sin of not being an environmental activists’ preferred climate solution."
Post
House Science Committee Explores Ways to Improve ARPA-E
With changes, ARPA-E can be more effective in accelerating technological breakthroughs that bolster economic progress, reduce emissions, and advance American leadership.
Post
Irrigation tech startup led by farming experts blossoms with revenue growth and new cash
"Smaller farms have historically irrigated using labor-intensive, manually operated systems. The systems could malfunction, flood crops, and operated inefficiently, requiring farmers to regularly go into the fields to check sprinklers and turn them on and off."
Post
A Republican Climate Caucus? Yes, It Exists and Is Growing
"Despite the low marks in the eyes of many environmentalists, the caucus represents an evolution for many Republicans on climate change. The group—one of a growing number of conservative organizations weighing in on climate issues—says it believes that the climate is changing and that the global industrial era is contributing to it."
Post
Rising Energy Demand is Not the Enemy. It’s the Opportunity
Lamenting the “obscene” energy demands artificial intelligence (AI) will command, a recent New Yorker article asks, “How can the world reach net zero if it keeps inventing new ways to consume energy?” The energy needs of cryptocurrency mining and clean-tech manufacturing have also raised concerns that the world will not meet climate targets. The reality...
Post
How African companies are solving the continent’s solar finance problem
"For African countries, the biggest obstacle to building out the solar industry is that the financing tricks used in China, Europe, and the U.S. to clear the way for widespread solar adoption — government subsidies and utility payments to solar-equipped customers — can’t work in places where states, utilities, and households are all chronically strapped for cash. At the same time, supply chain problems and the widespread perception by financial institutions that investments in Africa are high-risk mean that the cost of solar is far higher than in other places — the same solar system costs twice as much in Ghana as in the U.S. Bringing down the cost of capital requires a stronger track record of profitable investments than what the industry has been able to show so far. That means new business models are needed to make solar affordable for a broader base of customers."
Post
Fluor to Design Commercial Laser Fusion Power Plant
"The Fusion Industry Association reports that at least 25 companies 'think the first fusion plant will deliver electricity to the grid before 2035.' It notes: 'Companies are increasingly confident of meeting their ambitious goals. That will require focus on mid-term milestones, embracing risk and parallel pathways, new partnerships, and (crucially) more resources.' So far, at least one company, Type One Energy Group, has announced a potential site for its stellarator fusion prototype at Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Fossil Plant in Clinton, Tennessee, a shuttered coal plant."
