Seismic shifts are underway in the world energy system. Low-carbon fuels, energy efficiency, and energy storage are expanding at record rates. At the same time, fossil fuels still dominate current energy use and receive massive ongoing new investments. Cost-lowering innovation is a common feature across many types of energy systems. Is energy investment in innovation aligned with the need to
A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency. As the name implies, it uses cryptography to improve the security of communications, at least in principle. Many cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain technology, a system that enables transactions to be gathered into blocks, recorded in a ledger, and then shared in decentralized networks. Bitcoin and Ethereum are two popular cryptocurrencies. At
Since the 1940s the United States government has provided substantial financial support for energy-related research, development, and demonstration (RD&D). The Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University maintains a database on RD&D spending by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from 1978 to the present. This is a rich history of politics, technical and industrial innovation, basic science, national security, environmental
Explore world solar power capacity added in 2020
Explore the world history of nuclear reactors, 1951-2022
Texas stands alone as an oil and gas producer in the United States. If Texas were a country, it would be the fifth largest oil producer in the world. Like in much of the rest of the United States, oil and gas production in Texas increased significantly after 2000 thanks to the development of fracking technology and a surge in
The term “prime mover” conjures the notion of someone or something that has a lot of influence. Tesla is a prime mover in the car industry. Taylor Swift is a prime mover in popular music. In the world of energy, prime mover refers to any device that receives force and motion from a natural source (flowing water, fuel combustion) and
Electricity from nuclear power plants accounts for about 10% of all electricity generated in the world. Many researchers, climate change activists, and decision makers see the expansion of nuclear energy as a key ingredient in any plan to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The story of nuclear power begins with uranium that is mined from the Earth and then processed
How safe is nuclear power? No question has generated more debate and disagreement in the world of energy. There is safety in an absolute sense: how likely is it that in the day-to-day operation of a nuclear power plant, or in the event of an extreme event, will a release of radiation pose a threat to human health or natural
The colossal release of energy from nuclear fission was demonstrated by the United States when it used two atomic bombs against Japan in World War II in 1945. The rush to domesticate fission to produce electricity started in the United States, the Soviet Union, and France immediately after the War.1 The first nuclear reactor to produce electricity was the extremely
Seismic shifts are underway in the world energy system. Low-carbon fuels, energy efficiency, and energy storage are expanding at record rates. At the same time, fossil fuels still dominate current energy use and receive massive ongoing new investments. Cost-lowering innovation is a common feature across many types of energy systems. Is energy investment in innovation aligned with the need to
A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency. As the name implies, it uses cryptography to improve the security of communications, at least in principle. Many cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain technology, a system that enables transactions to be gathered into blocks, recorded in a ledger, and then shared in decentralized networks. Bitcoin and Ethereum are two popular cryptocurrencies. At
Since the 1940s the United States government has provided substantial financial support for energy-related research, development, and demonstration (RD&D). The Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University maintains a database on RD&D spending by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from 1978 to the present. This is a rich history of politics, technical and industrial innovation, basic science, national security, environmental
Explore world solar power capacity added in 2020
Explore the world history of nuclear reactors, 1951-2022
Texas stands alone as an oil and gas producer in the United States. If Texas were a country, it would be the fifth largest oil producer in the world. Like in much of the rest of the United States, oil and gas production in Texas increased significantly after 2000 thanks to the development of fracking technology and a surge in
The term “prime mover” conjures the notion of someone or something that has a lot of influence. Tesla is a prime mover in the car industry. Taylor Swift is a prime mover in popular music. In the world of energy, prime mover refers to any device that receives force and motion from a natural source (flowing water, fuel combustion) and
Electricity from nuclear power plants accounts for about 10% of all electricity generated in the world. Many researchers, climate change activists, and decision makers see the expansion of nuclear energy as a key ingredient in any plan to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The story of nuclear power begins with uranium that is mined from the Earth and then processed
How safe is nuclear power? No question has generated more debate and disagreement in the world of energy. There is safety in an absolute sense: how likely is it that in the day-to-day operation of a nuclear power plant, or in the event of an extreme event, will a release of radiation pose a threat to human health or natural
The colossal release of energy from nuclear fission was demonstrated by the United States when it used two atomic bombs against Japan in World War II in 1945. The rush to domesticate fission to produce electricity started in the United States, the Soviet Union, and France immediately after the War.1 The first nuclear reactor to produce electricity was the extremely
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