Nuclear reactors currently produce about 11 percent of electricity across the globe. Fueled by uranium, a mined metal that seems to be abundant, they don’t produce the greenhouse gases that have been linked to global warming. So could they generate…
A solar-powered airplane landed in California on Sunday, completing a trip across the Pacific Ocean that began last year. A team of pilots and scientists are attempting to fly the airplane, called Solar Impulse 2, all the way around the world.…
A new battery could "change the way the world uses energy," according Elon Musk, whose company Tesla Motors Inc. developed the product. The system is called Tesla Energy, and it has the potential to make homes free of fossil fuels. The batteries can store energy from…
For 75 days and counting, Costa Rica hasn't produced any electricity through the use of fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas. Instead, the country has been running on renewable energy. Hydropower, or water power, has been the primary energy…
What if your smartphone battery could charge 70 percent in just two minutes? It could happen soon. A Singapore university announced a breakthrough that not only allows batteries to charge very quickly, but also extends their life. A lithium ion…
Hydrogen fuel cells have existed since the 1950s, but cost has limited their production. Recently, though, scientists have made a breakthrough. They discovered a much faster way to make the hydrogen necessary to power those fuel cells. This new technique…
In the wake of the meltdown at the Fukushima power plant in Japan, many countries have taken conservative approaches to nuclear plants, particularly by increasing precautions and frameworks around existing plants. But while countries like Germany and Switzerland are phasing out…
Clean, renewable energy sources may be more practical than previously thought, according to a Stanford study. The study analyzed the costs and benefits of shifting California’s power supply to renewable sources. The immediate costs of creating infrastructure to support wind,…
For the first time, non-hydropower renewable energy sources created more energy in a month than hydro sources. The milestone is a culmination of a decade of growth in wind, biomass, geothermal, and solar power. But even with the increased productivity…