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How AI Can Improve Storm Surge Forecasts to Help Save Lives
Hurricanes are America’s most destructive natural hazards, causing more deaths and property damage than any other type of disaster. The No. 1 cause of the damage and deaths from hurricanes is storm surge. I have recently been exploring ways that artificial intelligence can improve the speed of storm surge forecasting.
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Texas Voters Have Final Say on $20 Billion Package to Secure State’s Water Supply
No new taxes would be collected for the package that would give the state’s water department $1 billion to spend on projects like cleaning salty water, flood control and reservoirs.
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New Report Examines Fossil Fuel Ties of Dozens of Trump Administration Hires
President Donald Trump spent the last nine months halting the growth of the American clean energy economy in its tracks. A new report found 43 fossil-fuel industry insiders among nominees and appointees to agencies charged with enforcing energy and environmental policy.
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China “Targeting” Mississippi River System: FBI
China’s plan to gain monopolistic control over key global industries extends to the U.S. inland waterways and major ports. Major ports in southern Louisiana serve as the gateway to the rest of the river network and the U.S. interior.
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NIST Engineers Design 5 New Ways to Connect Concrete Pieces for More Resilient Buildings
Precast concrete is an efficient and cost-effective building material made in a factory instead of at a construction site. One of the biggest challenges with precast concrete is connecting the concrete pieces at a job site. Working with industry, NIST has designed five new connections for precast concrete buildings that will make them more resilient.
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As Trump Champions Fossil Fuels, the World Is Betting on Renewable Energy
If you live in the U.S., seeing how the Trump administration is hobbling the development of renewable energy, you could be forgiven for thinking that renewable energy is on the outs. But the US is n outlier: Despite a U.S. retreat, solar and wind are overtaking fossil fuels globally, according to two new reports.
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U.S. Energy Supply Chains Are Unlikely to Meet Anticipated Demand
The U.S. fast-growing energy demands for clean energy sources faces a problem: Under current supply chain conditions, the United States is on track to fall significantly short of surging demand for three clean energy sources: wind, solar, and battery. The shortage is due to the scarcity of critical raw materials such as nickel, aluminum, and silicon.
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At Least 170 U.S. Hospitals Face Major Flood Risk. Experts Say Trump Is Making It Worse.
At many of these facilities, flooding from heavy storms has the potential to jeopardize patient care, block access to emergency rooms, and force evacuations.
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How Better Paper Can Save Billions in the Power Grid
Norway can save investment costs of a staggering 25 billion NOK [ca. €2.1 billion] in the power grid by upgrading the quality of insulation paper used in transformers –dramatically increasing their lifespans.
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Underground Data Fortresses: The Nuclear Bunkers, Mines and Mountains Being Transformed to Protect Our “New Gold” from Attack
Bunker scholars have long noted that these buildings are as much about time as they are about space. Bunkers are designed to preserve and transport their contents through time, from an apocalyptic present into a safe future.
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First Responders Put Drones to the Test in Complex Urban Environments
New York City was the backdrop for a third Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) assessment of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) on the “Blue List.” S&T’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) recently evaluated a handful of systems to see if they are up to the task for critical public safety operations.
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Millions of Buildings at Risk from Sea Level Rise
Sea level rise could put more than 100 million buildings if fossil fuel emissions are not curbed quickly. The analysis focused on Global South and considered multiple scenarios, underscoring urgent need for planning.
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Flood of Doubt
Almost a third of Americans live in unincorporated communities beyond city limits, where disaster aid can confuse and frustrate.
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Advancing Hydropower Innovation for a Modern Electric Grid
Hydropower has long been a core resource for the U.S. electric grid. At Argonne, computer modeling and analysis are helping to shape the industry’s future by helping to optimize dam operations, integrate hydropower into modern energy systems, and mentor students.
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Power-Outage Exercises Strengthen the Resilience of U.S. Bases
In recent years, power outages caused by extreme weather or substation attacks have exposed the vulnerability of the electric grid. Now mandated by law, Lincoln Laboratory’s blackout drills are improving national security and ensuring mission readiness.
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The long view
Data Centers’ Insatiable Demand for Electricity Will Change the Entire Energy Sector
When the first large language models were unleashed, it triggered a headache for authorities around the world as they tried to figure out how to satisfy data centers’ endless demand for electricity.
Will Texas Actually Run Out of Water?
You asked our AI chatbot about Texas’ water supply. We answered some of the questions that it couldn’t.