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☆ Inside the Quest to Make Fusion Energy a Reality
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Raymond Zhong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

The Quest to Build a Star on Earth Start-ups say we’re closer than ever to near-limitless, zero-carbon energy from fusion. Today’s fusion start-ups aren’t just preparing for this moment in the lab. Such advances helped the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory produce more fusion energy than the energy in the incoming laser beams, for the briefest of moments, in 2022. They also helped European researchers generate record amounts of fusion energy at a facility in Britain last year. What worries researchers is how much some fusion start-ups are promising, and how soon.

Persons: General Atomics, Lawrence, —, Charles Darwin’s, Lord Kelvin, Darwin, Arthur Eddington, Nicolas Tucat, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Vinod Khosla, Sam Altman, Kitty, presale, Gerald Navratil, Navratil, “, it’s, ”, Robert Goldston, you’ve, David James Bartho, Simon Simard, Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr, Stark, Bob Mumgaard, Mumgaard, Brandon Sorbom, Sorbom, “ We’re, Dr, Earl Marmar, Thea Energy, Salvador Dalí, Cary Forest, Grant Hindsley, Richard Magee, “ It’s, Jean Paul Allain, there’s, Steven Cowley, Cowley, ” David Gates, you’d, Gates, ” Thea, Thea, Eos Organizations: Nuclear Fusion Facility, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Agence France, Princeton University, University of Sydney, Underwood Archives, Getty, Fairfax Media, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, SPARC, The New York Times, ARC, Commonwealth, The New York, Dawn Princeton Plasma Physics, tokamaks, That’s, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Energy, Thea, Zap Energy, Helion, Microsoft, General Fusion, West, Technologies, Department of, Princeton Plasma Physics Locations: France, Columbia, Princeton, Harwell , England, Britain, Massachusetts, Russian, Commonwealth, Seattle, Vancouver, Southern California

☆ Climate Action 15: 2024's Leading Innovators for a Sustainable Future
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +40 min

Editor's note: Business Insider's reporters and editors nominated leaders based on insights from past Climate Action honorees, expert sources, and reader submissions. Courtesy of Jayson RicamaraSaudi Arabia, with its hot desert climate and little fresh water, is one of the most difficult farming environments. AdvertisementIyris in October also launched a sustainable-farming pilot in Saudi Arabia with chemical and plastic manufacturers as well as companies including Red Sea Global, a luxury tourism developer. A UN climate panel estimated that harnessing wave energy could supply 20% more electricity than the world produced in 2022. The US is trying to shore up its own mining and manufacturing base to curb China's power, including in battery recycling.

Persons: Derya Baran, Iyris Derya Baran, Jayson Ricamara, Baran, SecondSky, who's, Inna Braverman, Braverman, David Leb, Charles Callaway, Environmental Justice Charles Callaway ., Callaway, Clara, Gretchen Cara Daily, Stanford University Gretchen Cara Daily, Daily, NatCap, Juan Carlos Navarro, Panama Juan Carlos Navarro, Panama Navarro, José Raúl, Haiti —, Navarro, del, Reinhold Gallmetzer, Reinhold, Gallmetzer, Brazil's JBS, packer, Diane Gilpin, Smart Green Shipping Diane Gilpin, Gilpin, Drax, Roberta Tuurraq Glenn, Borade, Savok Glenn, Glenn, Cynthia Houniuhi, Houniuhi, it's, Arvind Kumar, Prasad, Rice, Kumar, Ari Matusiak, Gazur, Matusiak, —, Duncan McIntyre, McIntyre, Altenex, Ozane, Biden, It's, Delta, Liz Ricketts, Charlie Engman Ricketts, Ricketts, Ricketts didn't, Chao Yan, Princeton NuEnergy Chao Yan, Yan Organizations: Iyris, United Arab, King Abdullah University of Science, Technology, Red, Eco, UN, Eco Wave Power, Shell, Environmental Justice, Proctor Academy For Callaway, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Green Institute, Callaway, Natural, Stanford University, Stanford, Facility, Ministry, Environment, Panama's, UNESCO, US State Department, National Association for, Nature, Center, for, Carrefour, Nestlé, Smart Green Shipping, Scottish Enterprise, International Windship Association, Maritime Organization, Union, Alaska Arctic Observatory, National Weather Service, AAOKH, University of Alaska, Pacific Islands, University of, International Court of Justice, United Nations, Prasad Seeds, Labor, Prasad, International Rice Research Institute, Rewiring, Reduction, Communities, Highland Electric, Schools, Highland, Beverly Public Schools, Fortune, Edison International, Louisiana, US Department of Energy, Ozane, White, LNG, Vessel Project, Biden, Department of Energy, Kantamanto, London . Brands, McKinsey, Princeton, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Princeton NuEnergy, Energy, Laboratory, EV Locations: Jayson Ricamara Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Spain, Ukraine, Cherkassy, Israel, Gibraltar, Port of Los Angeles, Porto, Portugal, West Harlem, New York City, Clara Hale, Costa Rica, Belize, China, NatCap, Stanford, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Haiti, Panama City, Brazil, Peru, Brazilian, , Norway's, Barrow, Furness, Alaska, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Utqiaġvik, Fanalei, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, Asia, Saharan Africa, India, Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, Africa, Hyderabad, South, Southeastern Asia, Subhanpur, Rewiring America, Massachusetts —, Sulphur , Louisiana, Calcasieu, Vessel Project Louisiana, Accra, Ghana, New York, London, Kantamanto, Taiyuan, China's Shanxi, Argonne, South Carolina

☆ Solid-state batteries may yet catch up — but silicon anodes are winning the race to power EVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Silicon anodes vs. solid-state batteriesAnalysts say silicon anodes theoretically offer 10 times the energy density as graphite, which are commonly used in battery anodes today. Silicon anodes, for example, are known to swell significantly during charging, which reduces the battery's longevity. Especially in the West, advances in the area of silicon anodes [are] seen as strategic opportunity to catch up with China. Nonetheless, analysts remain skeptical about when solid-state batteries will actually make it to market. "However, there are significant technical challenges going to 100% silicon anode such as silicon expansion affecting the longevity of the batteries and currently there are several routes to produce silicon anodes," he added.

Persons: IDTechEx, carmakers, Venkat Srinivasan, Srinivasan, hasn't, Rory McNulty, McNulty, Georgi Georgiev, Georgiev, Taiwan's, Sila Nanotechnologies Organizations: Parc des, Chesnot, Getty, Mercedes, Porsche, GM, Center for Energy Storage Science, government's, government's Argonne National Laboratory, CNBC, EV, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Bloomberg, Fastmarkets, Toyota, Nissan, China's SAIC Motor Corp, ProLogium, Paris Locations: Parc, Paris, France, government's Argonne, Chicago, Siheung, South Korea, West, China, U.S

☆ China and U.S. race to solve the mystery of neutrinos, 'ghost particles' of the universe
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Eric Baculinao | Evan Bush | Eric Baculinao Is A Producer Based In Beijing. A Long-Term Resident Of Beijing Who Is Fluent In Chinese | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Neutrinos pair with antineutrinos, which scientists think mirror their behavior. The first of three new neutrino observatoriesJUNO is part of China’s ambitious efforts to become a global science powerhouse. The sun, for example, sends electron neutrinos toward Earth, but sometimes they arrive as muon neutrinos. Several scientists behind neutrino observatory projects admitted, though, that it’s impossible to predict the practical, earthly benefits of the research. You need a discontinuity,” said Mary Bishai, a particle physicist at the U.S. Energy Department’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and a co-spokesperson for the DUNE project.

Persons: antineutrinos —, Wang Yifang, antineutrinos, ” Wang, Xi Jinping, Eric Baculinao, “ It’s, ”, Chris Marshall, China —, Wang, “, they’ve, ” Patrick Huber, Ignacio Taboada, — it’s, —, Sergio Bertolucci, We’ve, JUNO, Pedro Ochoa, you’ll, Mary Bishai Organizations: China’s Institute of High Energy, Workers, NBC, University of Rochester, U.S, NBC News U.S, Virginia Tech’s Center, Neutrino Physics, Georgia Tech, JUNO, University of California, U.S . Energy, Brookhaven National Laboratory Locations: Japan, U.S, Illinois, North Dakota, China, Italian, South Dakota, Irvine, Brookhaven

☆ Innovations in glass technology are driving progress in energy, sustainability, and consumer products. Here's what that looks like.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Since Otto Schott invented specialty glass in 1884, the simple material has become a cornerstone of modern technology, and driving innovation. From semiconductors to clean energy, home tech, and electric vehicles, glass is the silent enabler of progress. Specially engineered laser glass helped researchers achieve what was once thought impossible: creating more energy from a reaction than was put into it. The light, amplified by active laser glass and focused through precisely crafted optical glass, delivered significant energy to a tiny fuel pellet, triggering a fusion reaction that produced a net energy gain. The fusion reaction generated 3.15 megajoules of energy, exceeding the 2.05 megajoules of laser energy delivered to the target.

Persons: Bill James, Otto Schott, SCHOTT Organizations: SCHOTT North, Industry, photonics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SCHOTT, Insider Studios Locations: SCHOTT North America

☆ SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew reveals impacts of history-making mission
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

His crewmate Anna Menon, a SpaceX engineer who was the Polaris Dawn mission’s medical officer, said she was struck by space adaptation syndrome. The Polaris Dawn crew poses in space, from left: Sarah Gillis, Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteet and Anna Menon. Sarah Gillis wears a special contact lens in this photo taken prior to the Polaris Dawn flight on April 29. In all, the Polaris Dawn team carried out 36 experiments on behalf of 31 partner institutions, including universities and NASA. Courtesy TIME StudiosAnother experiment that the Polaris Dawn crew underwent to understand in-space ailments involved a series of MRI scans just before liftoff and immediately after returning to Earth.

Persons: ” Scott “ Kidd ” Poteet, CNN’s Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Anna Menon, Polaris Dawn, ” Menon, “, —, NASA —, Sarah Gillis, Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteet, Isaacman, ” Isaacman, … That’s, ”, Earth’s Van Allen, Poteet, John Kraus, Menon, you’re, Dr, Allison Hayman, Uber, Donna Roberts, Roberts, Gillis, It’s, ” Gillis Organizations: CNN, Polaris, US Air Force, SpaceX, NASA, Polaris Program, Polaris Program NASA, University of Colorado, TIME, ISS, Laboratory Locations: University of Colorado Boulder

This article is part of the Opinion series At the Brink,about the threat of nuclear weapons in an unstable world. It follows a decades-long freeze on designing, building or testing new nuclear weapons. The new buildings and cutting-edge machinery will eventually process the uranium needed to make the next generation of American nuclear weapons. Now there are an estimated 12,000 nuclear weapons in the world. It is undeniably true that the world is becoming more contentious, and nuclear weapons do deter our adversaries.

Persons: Melissa Durkee’s, Adalie, —, Warren Air Force Base Missiles Ellsworth Air Force Base Pantex Plant Minot Air Force Base Dyess Air Force Base Lockheed Martin Tinker, Todd Weeks, Weeks, you’re, Eric Helms, Helms, it’s, ”, aren’t, Robin Darnall, she’s, “, can’t, Northrop Grumman, Nunn, Walter Schweitzer, Mr, Schweitzer, Robert Oppenheimer, didn’t, Jay Coghlan, Charles McMillan, Greg Mello Organizations: U.S, Preston Veterans ’ Memorial, Dynamics, U.S . Navy, Preston Veterans ’, The Times Naval Base Kitsap Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Northrop Grumman Nevada National Security, Air Force Base Malmstrom Air Force Base Sandia National Laboratories Los Alamos National Laboratory, Warren Air Force Base Missiles Ellsworth Air Force Base Pantex Plant Minot Air Force Base Dyess Air Force Base, Warren Air Force Base Missiles Ellsworth Air Force Base Pantex Plant Minot Air Force Base Dyess Air Force Base Lockheed Martin Tinker Air Force Base Offutt Air Force Base Kansas City National Security, Chaffee, Air Force Base Whiteman Air Force Base, Security, Laboratory Naval Submarine Base, Bay Northrop, Newport News Shipbuilding General Dynamics Electric, Submarines, Submarines Connecticut Rhode Island, Submarines Connecticut Rhode Island Virginia General Dynamics Electric, General Dynamics, Columbia, Engineering, Republican, Democratic, Office, General Dynamics Electric, Navy, NASCAR, Manhattan, Reactor, The Energy Department, National Nuclear Security Administration, Energy Department, National Nuclear Security, Fort, Missiles Wyoming North Dakota, Missiles Wyoming North Dakota Colorado Nebraska Montana America’s, The Air Force, Minuteman III, Air Force, Warren Air Force Base, Sentinel, Banner, Soviets, Air Force Base, McCurdy, Pentagon, Montana Farmers Union, Mexico South, Environmental Protection Agency, Los Alamos, Nuclear Watch, Alamos County, Atomic, Los Alamos Study, United States Locations: Preston, Conn, New England, America, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, United States, Savannah, Manhattan, Washington, Submarines Connecticut, Submarines Connecticut Rhode Island Virginia, Narragansett, Rhode Island, Quonset, R.I, Groton, Soviet Union, Rhode Island , Connecticut, Virginia, Columbia, Tennessee, Oak Ridge, Tenn, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Texas, Fort Knox, Missiles Wyoming North Dakota Colorado, —, Wyoming , Nebraska , Colorado , Montana, North Dakota, Plains, F.E, Wyoming, Nebraska, Banner County, Great Falls, Mont, Mexico, Mexico South Carolina, New Mexico, Los Alamos, N.M, Savannah River, S.C, Colorado, Rocky, Alamos, Nuclear Watch New Mexico, Santa Fe

☆ The science of how Hurricane Milton became such a monster
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The Summary Hurricane Milton intensified at one of the fastest rates in recorded history. At nearly every turn, Hurricane Milton has offered surprises. Milton is the strongest Gulf of Mexico hurricane since Hurricane Rita in 2005. However, Lin said, “that doesn’t make it any less dangerous.”Even with slower winds, Milton is expected to remain a major hurricane until landfall Wednesday night. “That would tie 2024 with 2005 and 2020 for 2nd most Gulf hurricane landfalls on record, trailing only 1886,” meteorologist Philip Klotzbach wrote on X.

Persons: Hurricane Milton, Milton, Campeche —, Chris Slocum, ” Slocum, ”, John Morales, Karthik Balaguru, Jonathan Lin, Milton “, Rita, Slocum, ” Lin, Milton “ wobbled, Lin, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Helene —, —, Helene, Philip Klotzbach Organizations: Hurricane, Hurricanes, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration’s, NBC South, Climate Central, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Cornell University, National Hurricane Center, Tampa Bay, Atlantic Locations: Gulf, Mexico, Hurricane, Tampa Bay, Africa’s, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Campeche, NBC South Florida, Milton, Tampa, Florida’s

☆ Asheville was considered a climate haven. Helene shows nowhere is safe
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Laura Paddison | Holly Yan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Asheville was touted as a climate haven, a place to escape the worst ravages of extreme weather. It pummeled western North Carolina as a tropical storm Friday. In some ways, this scenic swath of western North Carolina was primed for catastrophe. Both systems concentrated their highest rainfall on western North Carolina, killing 11 people. A recent First Street report found parts of North Carolina devastated by Helene could now experience a once-in-100 year flood every 11 to 25 years.

Persons: ”, Kathie Dello, Hurricane Helene, Helene, Melissa Sue Gerrits, Jesse Keenan, Susan Hassol, Dello, ” Dello, Ivan, Frances, Sean Rayford, Fred, Travis Long, Helene “, Ed Kearns, ” Kerns, Esther Manheimer, Tulane University’s Keenan, Keenan, ” There’s, Rachel Ramirez, Ella Nilsen, Brandon Miller Organizations: CNN, Asheville, Highways, Biltmore, Tulane University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Tropical, First Street Foundation, Tulane Locations: North Carolina, America, North Carolina’s, Florida, Buncombe County, Asheville, Gulf of Mexico, California , Arizona, Carolinas, Georgia, Buncombe, Biltmore Village, Cruso , North Carolina, Canada, Vermont, West Virginia, Phoenix

☆ Sam Altman-backed nuclear startup Oklo to start site work for Idaho microreactor
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

He expects Oklo to break ground at the Idaho site in 2026, with plans to have the reactor up and running by the following year. The CEO acknowledged there's a risk the 2027 start date gets pushed out depending on how long the NRC review takes. The average nuclear reactor in the current U.S. fleet is around 1,000 megawatts, according to the Department of Energy. The CEO acknowledged the NRC review could delay the 2027 start date for the Idaho microreactor: "There's definitely risk. At the end of the day, we can't control the NRC review timeline," he said.

Persons: Jacob DeWitte, Oklo, DeWitte, there's, Sam Altman's SPAC, Altman, Oklo's Organizations: CNBC, Department of Energy, Idaho National Laboratory, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, AltC, Department of Energy ., Industry, Constellation Energy, NYSE, NRC, World Health Organization, Idaho Locations: Idaho, Idaho Falls, Aurora

☆ Nuclear fusion: The US led in this clean energy race for decades. Now China is in position to win
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Angela Dewan | Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It’s also here, on an unassuming downtown street, a small start-up called Energy Singularity is working on something extraordinary: nuclear fusion energy. Nuclear fusion, the process that powers the sun and other stars, is painstakingly finicky to replicate on Earth. The Chinese government is pouring money into the venture, putting an estimated $1 billion to $1.5 billion annually into fusion, according to Jean Paul Allain, who leads the US Energy Department’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences. The US was among the world’s first to move on the futuristic gambit, working on fusion research in earnest since the early 1950s. CNNThe US has been a fusion leader for decades; it was the first nation to apply fusion energy in the real world — in a hydrogen bomb.

Persons: It’s, Lam Yik Fei, Jean Paul Allain, Biden, “, it’s, ” Allain, Andrew Holland, Holland, ”, ” Holland, Damien Jemison, Lawrence, Melanie Windridge, Mikhail Maslov, Allain Organizations: CNN, 6G, Beijing outspends DC, New York Times, US Energy Department’s, Fusion Energy Sciences, Private, Nikkei . Energy, MIT, Fusion Industry Association, Princeton, Physics, American, America, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, ” CNN, China’s National Energy Administration, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Fusion Energy, EAST, UK Atomic Energy Authority Locations: Shanghai, America, China, Beijing, Washington, DC, Japan, Europe, United States, Hefei, Xinhua, Massachusetts, Hiroshima, California, Lawrence Livermore

☆ The US is dismantling nuclear warheads to power next-gen reactors
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This fuel is set to power the next generation of America’s nuclear reactors — small, modular power stations that are easier and cheaper to build. They require far less upkeep and physical space than the aging fleet of large nuclear power plants. “In order to meet our energy security needs and our climate goals, we do need significantly more nuclear energy deployed.”The nuclear power industry is increasingly looking to smaller reactors, which run on HALEU. The uranium for conventional reactors is enriched up to 5% and HALEU is uranium enriched between 5-20%. Highly enriched uranium is anything more than 20% and is used in weapons or naval submarines.

Persons: —, Michael Goff, Bill Gates, ”, Jeff Navin, “, hasn’t, Benjamin Rasmussen, Jeff Chamberlin, Goff, Dan Leistikow, Josh Jarrell, Leistikow, Centrus, TerraPower’s Navin, ” Navin Organizations: CNN, Manhattan Project, National Nuclear Security, US, Energy, of Nuclear Energy, Idaho National Laboratory, Department of Energy, New York Times, United, US Energy Department, Miller, Centrus Energy, Idaho National Laboratories, Idaho National Labs, Energy Department, DOE Locations: Oak Ridge , Tennessee, Oak Ridge, Tenneseee, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Idaho, Wyoming, Kemmerer , Wyoming, Congress

☆ Dangerous feral hogs that destroy lawns and eat plastic are growing across the US, and states can't kill them fast enough
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US has been trying to keep the feral pig population — estimated to be between 6 and 9 million — in check for over a decade. Feral pigs will eat almost anythingAlan Biggerstaff of Nuisance Wildlife Management & Control set up hog traps in Texas in 2019. Mayer has seen feral hogs forage at landfills and feed on diapers, rubber bands, and plastic. AdvertisementWhen feral pigs start rooting in grass, they can leave a mess behind, as this photo from 2014 shows. Mayer said another factor that makes controlling wild hogs difficult is that the entire country is a mosaic of different methods.

Persons: —, Jack Mayer, Mayer, Alan, Brett Coomer, they're, wilder, Gerald Herbert, Robert F, You've Organizations: Service, Business, Laboratory, Management, Control, Houston, Getty, Texas Locations: San Antonio , Texas, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Savannah, North America, England, Louisiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Oklahoma

☆ EV sales have hit a speed bump. Using AI to improve their batteries could get more people back in the driving seat.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Chemix is using machine-learning algorithms to develop EV batteries that can charge more quickly, hold more energy, and last longer than current EV power units. Koeller said the primary advantage of using AI to design EV batteries is that it dramatically speeds up the process. Better EV batteriesDesigning EV batteries is a three-step process, Georgia Tech assistant professor Micah Ziegler told BI. The solid-state electrolyte they discovered relies less on lithium, an increasingly rare resource that forms the core of today's EV batteries. Mueller said that PNNL's collaboration with Microsoft has convinced him that generative AI could have applications far beyond speeding up EV battery design.

Persons: —, Jason Koeller, Koeller, Micah Ziegler, Ziegler, Karl Mueller, Mueller, it's Organizations: Service, Business, EV, Georgia Tech, BI, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Microsoft Locations: California

☆ A new carbon removal plant will absorb carbon dioxide 99,000 times faster than Earth's oceans
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewThe oceans are our planet's largest carbon sink, naturally absorbing about 25% of the carbon dioxide that humans emit. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) companies like Equatic are trying to harness that natural process to absorb even more. On June 18, Equatic announced it started engineering designs for the world's first commercial-scale, ocean-based CDR plant, Sanders said. The plant could remove carbon dioxide at a rate that's 99,000 times as fast as the oceans. Questions remain about CDR's economic and environmental impactAs ocean-based CDR technology scales up, concerns grow over its environmental impact.

Persons: —, Edward Sanders, Equatic, Sanders, Grace, Weiquan Lin, we're, Sergii Petruk, Jessica Cross, Cross Organizations: Service, Business, National Academies of Science, Engineering, Companies, Boeing, Equatic, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Locations: LA, Singapore

☆ Sheinbaum’s American Experience Offers Clues to Her Approach to U.S. Relations
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Natalie Kitroeff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

She lived in housing provided by Stanford University with her two small children and her husband, who was pursuing a Ph.D. there. For four years, Ms. Sheinbaum immersed herself in a new life as an immigrant academic in the United States. She landed on the front page of The Stanford Daily student newspaper for protesting the North American Free Trade Agreement. And to people who knew her, she seemed entirely at ease in California, navigating the world of American academia. “They could have been professors, they could have made their lives here,” said Alma González, a close friend of Ms. Sheinbaum’s in California.

Persons: Claudia Sheinbaum, Sheinbaum, “, ”, Alma González, Ms Organizations: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford Daily, North American Free Trade Locations: Mexico City, Northern California, United States, Mexico, California, American, Sheinbaum’s

In 2023, Texas led the nation in solar installations on its power grid, surpassing California for its second consecutive year. Explosive power demand poses a challenge to the Biden administration's goal of converting the U.S. power grid to 100% clean electricity by 2035. Nextracker is a leading U.S. solar firm, building systems that allow panels to track to the position of the sun, improving the efficiency of solar power plants. Shugar pointed to the massive number of renewable projects in the U.S. seeking connection to the power grid. But as energy demand increases, the value of each additional hour should rise, eventually making longer duration batteries more cost effective, he said.

Persons: Brandon Bell, Andrés Gluski, Joseph Rand, We've, Kelley, Wells, Goldman Sachs, Biden, Ryan Sweezey, Wood Mackenzie, Richard Kinder, Kinder Morgan, Kinder, Amin Nasser, Nasser, Shugar, Lawrence, Lazard, Nextracker's Shugar, Lawrence Berkeley, Amol Phadke, Rand, Sweezey, Reid Ramdathsingh, Ramdathsingh, Fluence, John Zahurancik, Zahurancik, it's, Zahuranick Organizations: Getty, Renewables, Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy, Big Tech, Microsoft, AES Corporation, Google, AES, Meta, UBS, Solar, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S, Tech, North America, DOE, CNBC, University of California Berkeley's Goldman School of Public, Goldman School, Lawrence, Rystad Energy, Siemens Locations: Ector County , Texas, Texas, California, United States, U.S, Wells Fargo, Saudi, Houston, Lawrence Berkeley, Fluence's Americas

☆ Renewable energy will be the predominant power source for data centers, Nextracker CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The solar panels are part of the renewable energy sources that power Apple's European data center in Viborg. "There'll be some gas, but we believe based especially on the data published by the DOE, the predominant energy source for these data centers is going to be renewable energy," Shugar told CNBC in an interview Thursday. Whereas older data centers may have been 100 to 200 megawatts in size, some of the "monster data centers" today may be as big as 1,000 megawatts, Shugar said. Microsoft, for example, recently signed a massive renewable energy deal with Brookfield Asset Management. The companies described the agreement as the largest renewable energy deal signed between two corporate partners to date.

Persons: Christoph Dernbach, Dan Shugar, Lawrence, Shugar, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Organizations: Getty, Big Tech, Wall Street, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Department of Energy, U.S, DOE, CNBC, Goldman, Microsoft, Brookfield Asset Management Locations: Hanstholm, Denmark, Viborg, Nextracker, California

☆ Here's how to buy renewable energy from your electric utility
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In the voluntary market, customers buy renewable energy in amounts that exceed states' minimum requirements from utility companies. Customers in these programs — also known as utility green power programs — pay their utility a "small premium" to get electricity from renewable sources, according to the U.S. Energy Department. Green power marketing programs Consumers in some states can also opt into "green power marketing programs." watch nowGreen energy programs instead rely on "renewable energy certificates," or RECs. It's a way to provide extra funding to a renewable energy project, typically sold by a broker or marketer rather than a utility, Sumner said.

Persons: Mark Felix, Jordan Vonderhaar, Jenny Sumner, It's, Joe Raedle, Loren Elliott, —, Sumner, Valerie Macon, Joydeep Mitra, Mitra Organizations: Afp, Getty, U.S . Energy Information Administration, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Environmental Protection Agency, Roadrunner, Bloomberg, U.S . Department of Energy, Getty Images, U.S . Energy Department, Yale University's, EPA, Michigan State University Locations: Dawson , Texas, U.S, McCamey , Texas, Solano County , California, California , Connecticut, Delaware , Illinois, Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts, Michigan , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island , Texas, Virginia, California, Imperial , California

☆ U.C. Santa Cruz Workers to Strike Over Protest Crackdowns
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Academic workers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will go on strike starting on Monday to protest the university system’s handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, the workers’ union announced on Friday. The union, U.A.W. 4811, which is part of the United Auto Workers, represents about 48,000 graduate students and other academic workers at 10 University of California system campuses and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. According to the union, about 2,000 members work at Santa Cruz as teaching assistants, tutors and researchers. academic workers are standing up to go on strike in response to the university’s crackdown on our fundamental rights to free speech and protest on campus,” Mr. Jaime said on Friday.

Persons: Lawrence, Rafael Jaime, “ U.A.W, ” Mr, Jaime, “, ” Organizations: University of California, U.A.W, United Auto Workers, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Santa Cruz Locations: Santa Cruz, Santa

☆ University of California Workers Vote to Authorize Strike in Rebuke Over Protest Crackdowns
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jonathan Wolfe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But academic workers in the University of California system authorized their union on Wednesday to call for a strike over something else entirely: free speech. 4811, represents about 48,000 graduate students and other academic workers at 10 University of California system campuses and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The strike authorization vote, which passed with 79 percent support, comes two weeks after dozens of counterprotesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles, for several hours without police intervention, and without arrests. The vote does not guarantee a strike but rather gives the executive board of the local union, which is part of the United Auto Workers, the ability to call a strike at any time. Eight of the 10 University of California campuses still have a month of instruction left before breaking for summer.

Persons: Lawrence, counterprotesters Organizations: University of California, U.A.W, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, United Auto Workers Locations: Los Angeles

Smarter grids, like Chattanooga's, are just part of what it will take to modernize the American grid in the coming decades. A troubled transition to renewable energyOffshore wind farms are one of the growing areas of renewable energy. And the Edwards & Sanborn project, the US's largest solar energy and energy storage project in California, came online in January. Renewable energy is not only cleaner than fossil fuels but also often less expensive. Breaking down barriersThe US grid isn't designed for fluctuating renewable energy, so much of it goes to waste because clean-energy projects can't connect to the grid.

Persons: Kevin Schneider, Harris, Joe Rand, Joshua Rhodes, barleyman, Edwards, Rand, Philip Odonkor, Seib, headwinds, Julia Bovey, Ørsted, Bovey, Paul Denholm, We'll, Denholm, There's, PATRICK T, FALLON, we're, Schneider, We've, EPB, MISO, it's Organizations: Infrastructure, Service, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Nationwide, Biden, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of Texas, Renewables, Sanborn, of Systems, Enterprises, Stevens Institute of Technology, Trump, Fork, Eversource Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Getty, Infrastructure Law Locations: Chattanooga , Tennessee, Chattanooga, EPB, Austin, Maine, North Carolina, California, United States

☆ Making the power grid 'smart' could save us all money and prevent blackouts. Chattanooga made the $280 million investment.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Chattanooga's utility built a $280 million smart grid, creating $2.7 billion in economic value. The local utility, called EPB of Chattanooga, spent $280 million to refurbish its power system with smart technologies to make a "smart grid." The traditional power grid carries electricity from a power plant to homes and commercial buildings. Smart grids can bring huge economic benefitsEven Congress knows the nation needs a smart grid. Though a smart grid requires a big up-front investment, it can save a lot of money down the line.

Persons: —, That's, Tiago Majuelos, Monika Skolimowska, Kevin Schneider, Schneider, Joshua Rhodes, David Wade, EPB, Wade, Taylor, David Swanson, We're Organizations: Infrastructure, Service, Chattanooga Smart, US Department of Energy, Wall Street, Getty, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, American Society of Civil Engineers, University of Texas, Department of Energy, C Electric Company, BI, Reuters, Nationwide Locations: Chattanooga , Tennessee, Chattanooga, Tennessee, EPB, California, Austin, Hamilton County, Palm Springs , California, Columbia, Southern California

☆ The US is under pressure to lead the way in reducing plastic pollution — but it keeps making more of it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

World leaders are gathering in Ottawa, Ontario, this week to hash out a global treaty to end plastic pollution. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementHundreds of businesses and countries support cutting plastic production. Lin represents the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, which includes more than 200 companies. Cutting plastic production would also hit the bottom line of oil majors such as Exxon.

Persons: Carroll Muffett, Jose Fernandez, Biden, Allison Lin, Lin, Stewart Harris, Harris, Neil Nathan, Nathan, He's Organizations: Service, Business, Center for International Environmental Law, Organization for Economic Co, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, State Department, Mars Inc, Business Coalition, Global Plastics, Walmart, PepsiCo, International Council of Chemical Association, Oxford Economics, Exxon, The International Energy Agency, UC Santa Barbara, US Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Washington, DC, Paris, Ottawa, Belgium

☆ The largest map of the cosmos hints that dark energy is changing. It could prove Einstein wrong and upend a pillar of modern physics.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

New data from the largest 3-D map of our universe suggests we may be wrong about dark energy. One of the driving forces behind that evolution is also one of our age's biggest mysteries in physics: dark energy. Einstein abandoned the idea as his "greatest blunder" in the 1930s, as astrophysicist Ethan Siegal explains, but a constant dark energy would have vindicated him. "If true, it would be the first real clue we have gotten about the nature of dark energy in 25 years," Adam Riess, a Nobel laureate for his co-discovery of dark energy, told Quanta Magazine. "The idea that dark energy is varying is very natural," Paul Steinhardt, a Princeton University cosmologist, told the magazine.

Persons: —, we're, Michael Levi, Levi, DESI, Marenfeld, Claire Lamman, Albert Einstein's, Einstein, Ethan Siegal, Albert Einstein, Ernst Haas, Adam Riess, Paul Steinhardt, Princeton University cosmologist, Riess, Vera C, Travis Lange, Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell, NASA's Nancy Grace, Arnaud de Mattia, Mattia Organizations: Service, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, American Physical Society, Princeton University, NASA, Rubin, Accelerator, Atomic Energy Commission Locations: Arizona, Princeton , New Jersey

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