-
Hardy Transistor Material Could Be Game-Changer for Nuclear Reactor Safety Monitoring
The safety and efficiency of a large, complex nuclear reactor can be enhanced by hardware as simple as a tiny sensor that monitors a cooling system. That’s why researchers are working to make those basic sensors more accurate by pairing them with electronics that can withstand the intense radiation inside a reactor.
-
-
Breaching Snake River Dams Could Drop Reservoirs, Groundwater Levels by 100 Feet
As the Biden administration attempts to gain support for breaching hydroelectric dams in Washington, state and federal agencies are preparing for a study on the potential implications.
-
-
How Do You Convince Someone to Live Next to a Nuclear Waste Site?
Engineers know how to build a site that can safeguard nuclear waste for 100,000 years. The challenge is convincing people to live next to it.
-
-
U.S. Supreme Court Blocks the Texas’s Rio Grande Water Deal with New Mexico
Water law experts say the Supreme Court’s recent decision will set a precedent for the federal government to intervene in water conflicts between states moving forward.
-
-
Startup Aims to Transform the Power Grid with Superconducting Transmission Lines
VEIR, founded by alumnus Tim Heidel, has developed technology that can move more power over long distances, with the same footprint as traditional lines.
-
-
Climate Change Is Increasing Stress on Thousands of Aging Dams Across the U.S.
There are more than 91,000 dams across the U.S., in all 50 states, with diverse designs and purposes. The average dam age is 57 years, and more than 8,000 dams are over 90 years old. The most recent report card of the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that 70% of U.S. dams will be more than 50 years old by 2030. Overall, the report gave U.S. dams a “D” grade and estimates that more than 2,300 are high hazard dams which could cause loss of life or serious property damage if they fail.
-
-
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.
-
-
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.
-
-
Bringing GPT to the Grid
Much has been discussed about the promise and limitations of large-language models in industries such as education, healthcare and even manufacturing. But what about energy? Could large-language models (LLMs), like those that power ChatGPT, help run and maintain the energy grid?
-
-
Countering Coercion: Australia Must Engage with Allies on Critical Minerals Supply
China’s use of coercion to control critical mineral mining and processing projects, their output and even whole supply chains has motivated several countries to take increasingly strong measures to secure alternative supply chains. Meanwhile, China’s state-linked companies continue to use multiple channels to manipulate markets at scale.
-
-
Beach Erosion Will Make Southern California Coastal Living Five Times More Expensive by 2050: Study
The region’s sandy coastlines are vanishing at an alarming rate. It’s a warning sign for coastal communities worldwide, USC research suggests.
-
-
‘Time for a Reckoning.’ Kansas Farmers Brace for Water Cuts to Save Ogallala Aquifer.
in this region of Kansas where water is everything, they’ll have to overcome entrenched attitudes and practices that led to decades of overpumping. After decades of local inaction, Kansas lawmakers are pushing for big changes in irrigation.
-
-
As Reservoirs Go Dry, Mexico City and Bogotá Are Staring Down ‘Day Zero’
In Mexico City and Bogotá, reservoir levels are falling fast, and the city governments have implemented rotating water shutoffs as residents are watching their taps go dry for hours a day. Droughts in the region have grown more intense thanks to warmer winter temperatures and long-term aridification fueled by climate change. In South Africa in 2018, Cape Town beat a climate-driven water crisis, and the way it did it holds lessons for cities grappling with an El Niño-fueled drought.
-
-
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.
-
-
A Section of Critical Highway Collapsed in Wyoming. Could It Happen Anywhere?
The partial collapse of a roadway in Wyoming as a result of a landslide that occurred over the weekend raises serious questions about the state of the nation’s infrastructure. “These failures don’t happen everywhere. The conditions have to be right,” says one expert.
-
The long view
Virtual Models Paving the Way for Advanced Nuclear Reactors
Computer models predict how reactors will behave, helping operators make decisions in real time. The digital twin technology using graph-neural networks may boost nuclear reactor efficiency and reliability.