All Environment
New nuclear plant gets $6.5 billion federal loan. Nuclear comeback?A new nuclear project in eastern Georgia – one of a handful of nuclear projects to be built in recent decades – will receive $6.5 billion in federal loan guarantees, the Energy Department announced Wednesday. It's a boost for a nuclear industry that has suffered amid high-profile disasters and a weak economy.
Clean energy offers boost for remote island nationsMany islands are blessed with large amounts of sun, wind, and water, making renewable energy a promising solution, Guevara-Stone writes. One small island off the coast of Africa has embraced these resources, most notably through an innovative hybrid hydro-wind system.
Global warming: Ice loss makes Arctic itself a bigger climate changerAs the Arctic region loses ice cover to global warming, it is itself becoming a stronger contributor to warming than climate models had predicted it would, a new study finds.
How safe is the grid from cyberattacks?The next major attack against the energy sector may be by a state actor, Graeber writes, and it may come from a computer.
Iran nuclear talks: Will rising oil output hurt negotiations?Nuclear negotiations got underway between six world powers and Iran Tuesday, after reports show that Iran increased oil exports by 100,000 barrels per day in January. The interim nuclear deal with the United States and its western allies has breathed some life into Iran’s oil sector, Cunningham writes.
Obama tightens truck fuel standards. Why efficiency matters.President Obama announced Tuesday plans for tightening the fuel-efficiency standards of medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2016. Amid high-profile energy issues like clean-energy subsidies and the Keystone XL pipeline, Obama has quietly made efficiency a cornerstone of his 'all-of-the-above' energy policy.
In drought-ravaged Calif, Obama talks preparation for climate changeSpeaking on water needs in California, President Barack Obama said the US must plan ahead for weather-related disasters. He announced $160 million in federal financial aid, which will cover loss of livestock and help families affected by water shortages.
Would you pay more for 'organic electricity'?Just as with organic supermarket produce, green power programs remain a niche market, Bronski writes. But the ability for consumers to pay a premium for 'organic electricity' is increasingly making inroads to mainstream markets.
Kerry pushes climate change cooperation in IndonesiaA day after signing an agreement with China to curb greenhouse gases, US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Indonesia with the hope of making similar deals in developing countries.
EPA seen as underreporting emissions: what that means for natural gas useResearchers say US methane emissions could be 25 percent to 75 percent higher than EPA estimates. The finding affects how natural gas stands up, environmentally, to other fossil fuels.
Great Lakes nearing a record for ice, with more winter aheadNot since 1979 has so much of the Great Lakes been coated in ice. It's not a plus for the shipping industry, but the ice bonanza could be good for wildlife and, most important, the lakes' water levels.
- Great Lakes nearly frozen. Why it means less snow.
Great Lakes are almost completely covered with ice as a long stretch of bitter cold has battered the Upper Midwest. Ice cover extended across 88 percent of the Great Lakes as of Thursday, according to government data.
Green-energy mandates, subsidies: at war with each other?As more people move to solar energy, states like Colorado are in a quandary. Should they force those homeowners to pay more to a utility so it can upgrade the grid with more green energy – keep those net payments low so more homeowners will move to solar?
Obama in California: a pledge of drought aid, climate change planningPresident Obama heads to the parched San Joaquin Valley in central California on Friday to announce executive action on the state's devastating drought. He will also draw a link between extreme weather and climate change.
Winter storm boosts fuel prices. Brace yourself for the utility bill.Another winter storm is descending on the East Coast where New Yorkers are paying record prices for natural gas and heating oil. The weeks-long cold snap and continued winter storms are draining fuel inventories and driving up prices.
Cool roofs in warming cities? They may come at a cost, study finds.As cities confront global warming, how they cool their roofs – reflecting sunlight or planting gardens – could add to winter heating costs or even decrease rainfall in some regions, the study finds.
Scientists achieve nuclear fusion milestoneBy blasting hydrogen isotopes with powerful laser pulses, researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have vastly increased fuel yield, a new paper reports.
Atlanta ice storm batters power grid. Why ice is worse than snow.Atlanta ice storm took out power for more than 100,000 Georgians Wednesday. Officials warned outages could continue as the Atlanta ice storm brought down tree limbs and weighed on power lines.
Will Iran oil end Saudi Arabia's energy reign?The Iranian nuclear deal has struck an optimistic tone in the Middle East, Ayyub writes, and officials in the United Arab Emirates are taking the opportunity to increase energy cooperation with Iran. That collaboration threatens to further erode Saudi Arabia's influence over the region's oil.
The golden age of natural gas? An interview with IEA chiefExploiting the world’s unconventional natural gas holds the key to a golden age of gas, says IEA executive director Maria van der Hoeven, but there are legitimate public concerns about the associated environmental and social impacts.
