India aims to deploy 40-50 small modular nuclear reactors, mostly to replace captive thermal power plants, as it aims to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions by 2070. A top industry official said that the 220-MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) was being redesigned using 3D design platforms with an aim to achieve a high...
The Fusion Energy Fast Forward
You may have heard the cliché to say that “fusion is always 10 years away.” I’ve been hearing that since the beginning of my career. It was ten years away in the late 90s, and it was still ten years away just a few years ago. It’s the unattainable goalpost just over the horizon.
US Department of Energy Selects 11 Projects to Advance Domestic Manufacturing of Next-Generation Batteries
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced an investment of $25 million across 11 projects to advance materials, processes, machines, and equipment for domestic manufacturing of next–generation batteries. These projects will advance platform technologies upon which battery manufacturing capabilities can be built, enabling flexible, scalable, and highly controllable battery manufacturing processes. Batteries are...
Kodoma Systems Is Leading the Way to Healthier Forests
Wildfires have scorched over 8 million acres of American land and forests this year. With six of the most intense wildfire seasons on record occurring in the past seven years and a doubling in the frequency of extreme wildfire activity, this number is not surprising.
AI’s energy hunger fuels geothermal startups but natgas rivalry clouds future
Geothermal energy startups are on the upswing with Big Tech companies looking to feed their power-intensive AI data centers, but long-term investments remain uncertain as oil majors double down on natural gas. Meta and Alphabet’s Google are among the tech companies partnering with startups proposing to produce geothermal electricity, to power their data centers. Large data-center operators...
A Tale of two Studies: DOE Study Rehashes Debunked Claims While New Analysis Highlights Critical Impacts of U.S. LNG
The U.S. Department of Energy released its long-awaited study on LNG exports Tuesday, and while the administration didn’t officially call for a ban on LNG exports – they might as well have. In a politically charged statement, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said “that a business-as-usual approach is neither sustainable nor advisable,” echoing similar claims to those made...
This Hydrogen Storage Startup Envisions A Breakthrough on the Horizon
A new player in the hydrogen storage market is emerging. California-based H2MOF, co-founded in 2021 by two renowned scientists Fraser Stoddart and Omar Yaghi, is preparing for a technological breakthrough in the field of hydrogen storage. Stoddart won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2016 and has received more than 73 global awards and metals....
Zap Energy is Leading the Future of Fusion
From the invention of the telegraph to the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, the United States has long been a leader in scientific and technological innovation. Maintaining this leadership is not just for bragging rights but also for ensuring national security and that of our allies.
Water-Smart Crops Could Transform Western Agriculture
Colorado River water conservation and drought-resistant agriculture are at the forefront of a groundbreaking study that could reshape farming across the Western United States. Led by Colorado State University researchers, the study examines three innovative alternatives to alfalfa: Kernza, sainfoin, and silflower. These crops have the potential to dramatically reduce water usage while supporting sustainable...
Transforming fusion from a scientific curiosity into a powerful clean energy source
If you’re looking for hard problems, building a nuclear fusion power plant is a pretty good place to start. Fusion — the process that powers the sun — has proven to be a difficult thing to recreate here on Earth despite decades of research. “There’s something very attractive to me about the magnitude of the...