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Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate
Venezuela’s ongoing descent into economic and political chaos is a cautionary tale of the dangerous influence that resource wealth can have on developing countries.
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Offshore Wind Farms Connected By an Underwater Power Grid for Transmission Could Revolutionize How the East Coast Gets Its Electricity
Offshore winds have the potential to supply coastlines with massive, consistent flows of clean electricity. One study estimates wind farms just offshore could meet 11 times the projected global electricity demand in 2040. In the U.S., the East Coast is an ideal location to capture this power.
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Nuclear Electricity Supply Would Be Less Vulnerable to Attack Than Renewables
Renewable energy generation is not as robust in the face of enemy attack as it looks. Nuclear power, even though it would probably be concentrated in a few large generating stations, should in fact be a little more dependable in wartime.
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Ranking the Feasibility of Converting 245 U.S. Coal Plants to Nuclear
An assessment ranks the feasibility of converting 245 operational coal power plants in the U.S. into advanced nuclear reactors. This is the most comprehensive coal-to-nuclear analysis to date, and it could help policymakers and utilities plan how to meet climate targets.
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Boosting Battery Research
Most Americans don’t leave home without at least one lithium battery-powered device, and someday, the house itself may have a battery backup. Scientists are working to make these large backup batteries less expensive, hold more energy and be less prone to bursting into flame.
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How Would a Switch to Nuclear Affect Electricity Prices for Households and Industry?
In a free market, it is very unlikely nuclear could be competitive. But if a future Australian government were to bring nuclear into the mix, energy costs for residential and especially industrial customers would very likely increase.
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Utah FORGE Achieves Crucial Geothermal Milestone
In $218 million DOE-funded research project, scientists aim to make enhanced geothermal a key part of world’s energy portfolio. “The ability to tap more of the Earth’s natural heat through enhanced geothermal systems will expand access to affordable, secure and resilient clean energy for everyone,” say one expert.
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Some Countries Could Meet Their Total Electricity Needs from Floating Solar Panels
Researchers calculated the global potential for deploying low-carbon floating solar arrays. The researchers looked at nearly 68,000 lakes and reservoirs around the world which were no more than 10km from a population center, not in a protected area, didn’t dry up and didn’t freeze for more than six months each year. The potential annual electricity generation from FPV on these lakes was 1302 terawatt hours (TWh), around four times the total annual electricity demand of the UK.
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What Are the Risks of Hydrogen Vehicles in Tunnels?
In addition to electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles are also seen as an alternative to conventionally powered vehicles. Scientists have analyzed the risk and damage potential of hydrogen vehicles in tunnels and derived recommendations. Their conclusion? Any damage would be extensive, but its occurrence is unlikely.
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Facing a Potentially Warmer, Drier Washington State, Scientists Develops Plans to Be Sure Nuclear Power Plants Stay Cool
Waterways — tried and true cooling sources for nuclear power plants — could get warmer due to global climate change. Washington is planning ahead. Argonne scientists will use Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to work with Washington’s Energy Northwest on climate-ready nuclear reactor designs.
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Small Hydroelectric Plants Could Provide Emergency Power During Outages
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is seeking a hydropower utility to collaborate on a case study, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), to understand how small hydroelectric plants operating at 10 megawatts or less can be upgraded to provide emergency power to critical loads (e.g., hospitals and emergency service providers) during outages.
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Making Batteries Takes Lots of Lithium: Almost Half of It Could Come from Pennsylvania Wastewater
Most batteries used in technology like smartwatches and electric cars are made with lithium that travels across the world before even getting to manufacturers. But what if nearly half of the lithium used in the U.S. could come from Pennsylvania wastewater?
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Securing Competitiveness of Energy-Intensive industries Through Relocation: The Pulling Power of Renewables
Countries with limited potential for renewables could save up to 20 percent of costs for green steel and up to 40 percent for green chemicals from green hydrogen if they relocated their energy-intensive production and would import from countries where renewable energy is cheaper.
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Rivers Are the West’s Largest Source of Clean Energy. What Happens When Drought Strikes?
With rivers across the West running low, utilities must get creative if they are to meet demand without increasing emissions.
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Subterranean Storage of Hydrogen
Hydrogen is an important clean fuel: It can be made by splitting water using solar or wind power, it can be used to generate electricity and to power heavy industry, and it could be used to energize fuel-cell-based vehicles. Sandia scientists are using computer simulations and laboratory experiments to see if depleted oil and natural gas reservoirs can be used for storing this carbon-free fuel.
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The long view
Using Liquid Air for Grid-Scale Energy Storage
New research finds liquid air energy storage could be the lowest-cost option for ensuring a continuous power supply on a future grid dominated by carbon-free but intermittent sources of electricity.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems: A Promising Source of Round-the-Clock Energy
With its capacity to provide 24/7 power, many are warming up to the prospect of geothermal energy. Scientists are currently working to advance human-made reservoirs in Earth’s deep subsurface to stimulate the activity that exists within natural geothermal systems.
Experts Discuss Geothermal Potential
Geothermal energy harnesses the heat from within Earth—the term comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). It is an energy source that has the potential to power all our energy needs for billions of years.