Renewables rebrand as an energy-security must-have

The desire for energy independence and stable homegrown power sources has led to a shift in the narrative around renewable energy from one about emissions reductions to one about energy security. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Trump’s former FERC chair: Compromise key to AI energy race

Solar energy plus battery storage, with natural gas backup, is the only “plausible path forward” in the near-term, said Neil Chatterjee, a former top energy regulator during the first Trump administration. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

Here’s how the Trump administration can revitalize U.S. energy support to Africa

Two reasons to hope the U.S. commitment to African energy will be revived. Voices

Katie Auth 3 min read

The U.S. and China drive data center power consumption

As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly important pillar in our day-to-day lives, demand for electricity to power all that AI is expected to rise. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Geothermal is the rare renewable energy winning favor in Trump’s America

With roots from the oil industry and a clean profile, geothermal is emerging as the one renewable energy the Trump administration actually likes. Latest News

Cat Clifford 6 min read

Efforts to expand energy access in Africa at risk with new geopolitical headwinds

Hundreds of millions of people gained access to electricity over the last 15 years, but population growth and tight financing have recently slowed this trend. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Cricket metaphors and finance talk: Five takeaways from a meeting of developing countries

Under blue skies and palm trees, a stone’s throw from this island nation’s pristine beaches, leaders from across the Global South gathered last week to do some serious soul-searching. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 6 min read

CERAWeek revisited: What a difference a decade makes

In 2016, energy producers at this giant energy conference were worried about supply far outstripping demand. This year, attendees obsessed about the opposite: the seemingly insatiable amount of energy the country needs. Latest News

Bill Spindle 3 min read

CERAWeek and the power of plenty

'More, more, more' has been the mantra of the giant energy conference CERAWeek by S&P Global this year, writes Bill Spindle from the event in Houston. Reporter's Notebook

Bill Spindle 3 min read

Power demand to tariffs: Five themes to watch at CERAWeek

As the event gets underway today, anticipation is running higher than normal because of the head-spinning changes in Washington as President Donald Trump’s administration puts its mark on United States energy policy. Latest News

Bill Spindle 3 min read

How to protect clean energy projects against extreme weather

The trials of floating solar projects in India point to a broader trend: extreme weather exacerbated by climate change is increasingly impacting the clean energy projects intended to help combat climate change worldwide. Explainers

Anuradha Varanasi 4 min read

In rural India, this reporter saw two sides of the country’s energy transition

Contributor Anuradha Varanasi reflects on the reporting trip she took to a massive floating solar park in Central India. Reporter's Notebook

Anuradha Varanasi 2 min read

In rural India, a clean energy project is displacing families — again

After a massive floating solar plant was built on a giant reservoir in rural India, local villagers no longer fish on large swaths of the lake. The same villagers were displaced 20 years ago when the same reservoir was first created by a new dam that flooded their original villages. Latest News

Anuradha Varanasi 6 min read

China on track to dominate nuclear energy

China leads, by far, in nuclear energy capacity under construction. Within five years, it is forecasted to overtake the U.S. and Europe to be the world's top nuclear power. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

National pride at a wilderness park and a research lab

Cat Clifford experienced some unexpected pride when she visited a wilderness area in the northern United States and a national lab in California last year. Reporter's Notebook

Cat Clifford 3 min read

This one chart shows Europe’s struggle with high energy prices

High energy prices are holding back Europe’s manufacturing industry, and recently compiled data highlights why the bloc is worried more business will flee the Continent. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Meet the unflappable physicist helping make fusion possible

Fusion could, if scaled up, promise a virtually unlimited, low-carbon and reliable source of power. Getting there will require more leadership from people like Richard Town. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

The world’s fastest supercomputer is accelerating efforts to bring star power to Earth

Across the fusion industry, advances in artificial intelligence are helping unlock new frontiers. AI is also, perhaps ironically, driving up demand for the kind of electricity fusion could provide. Latest News

Cat Clifford 6 min read

Data centers drive up projected electricity growth in the U.S.

In just two years, the growth of data centers — fueled in part by artificial intelligence’s rapid integration into our livelihoods — have dramatically reshaped expectations for future energy consumption in the United States. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

2025 climate solutions trends: Scrutiny, humility and surprises (probably!)

Amy Harder shares the five global climate solutions trends she's watching in 2025. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

Rounding up the best of Cipher in 2024

This was a big year for the energy transition and a busy year for Cipher. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite articles from 2024 and offer them to you here for easy reading. Latest News

Cipher Staff 4 min read

What a board game teaches us about equity and clean energy

Unlike past versions of the game that focused almost entirely on growth, Catan: New Energies requires players to examine the consequences of expansion. Voices

Mahesh Ramanujam 2 min read

2024 reflections: AI power, elections and more

We knew some of what this year would bring — like consequential elections — while some events took many of us by surprise — like a sudden boom in electricity demand fueled (largely) by artificial intelligence. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

Analysis: A reporter hears echoes of the past in Japan’s net zero strategy

In the 1990s, Bill Spindle covered Japan's economic collapse. Returning again this year to report on Japan's energy transition, he picked up on some familiar narratives. Reporter's Notebook

Bill Spindle 3 min read

Why we need digital skills for a green future

Addressing environmental challenges requires advanced technology and, just as crucially, workers with the skills to wield it. Voices

Matt Sigelman & Justina Nixon-Saintil 3 min read

Northeast leads U.S. in storing energy for long periods

The region boasts at least three of the small handful of grid-scale facilities that can store more than eight hours of power. Most of the battery systems being installed around the country have a maximum storage capacity of just four hours. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

What utilities can learn from cloud computing and telecom

As the electric grid faces historic demand for power, utility companies can learn a thing or two about reinvention from the evolution of cloud computing and wireless telecommunications. Voices

Astrid Atkinson 3 min read

Global cleantech market to top $2 trillion by 2035 – IEA

The global clean technology market has more than tripled in the last eight years and, under current policies, is expected to nearly triple again by 2035. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

How to improve life for humanity — and not worsen global warming

Access to reliable energy dramatically improves the quality of people’s lives. And the world needs a lot more energy to bring billions of people out of poverty. Explainers

Cat Clifford 4 min read

Get caught up fast: Comparing Harris and Trump on energy and climate

As Americans head to the polls, they face a clear choice between two contrasting visions for climate and clean energy policies. Explainers

Tory Lysik & Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

Shift to clean energy will transform how the global power system works

In their new subordinate roles, fossil fuel plants will mostly serve as the grid’s safety net, providing backup power when needed. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

In Wisconsin, I saw how the global energy transition is a local challenge

Cat Clifford shares what she learned while having tricky conversations about clean energy in Wisconsin ahead of the 2024 election. Reporter's Notebook

Cat Clifford 3 min read

Global electricity demand set to soar, but don’t blame artificial intelligence, IEA finds

Global demand for electricity is set to soar in the coming years as the world transitions to cleaner energy largely reliant on such power systems, finds the International Energy Agency. Data Dives

Amy Harder & Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

Southeast Asia’s path to universal energy access and net-zero emissions

Southeast Asia is projected to keep increasing its reliance on carbon-intensive fuels like coal for the next 25 years. We need to slow, and ideally reverse, that fossil dependence. Voices

Nicole Iseppi & Sunita Dubey 4 min read

To address surging power demand, let’s value all clean energy

To meet surging energy demand without building new fossil fuel power plants, we need to embrace new zero-carbon energy technologies — and new market mechanisms to finance them. Voices

McGee Young 3 min read

New York leads the way on cleaning up our buildings

New York is showing other states how to transform their buildings and save people money. Voices

Sara Baldwin 3 min read

China hit its wind and solar goal six years early

China’s grid was built for coal power, which generates electricity constantly, so it is struggling to adapt to wind and solar, which only generate power when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. Latest News

Xiaoying You 4 min read

What one reporter learned about space-based solar power

Anca Gurzu shares what drew her to writing about space-based solar power: "progress is happening in an area once confined to science fiction storytelling. I was curious to learn how it would all work and what challenges these projects would face." Reporter's Notebook

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Very big batteries are coming to a grid near you

Large batteries are rapidly connecting to the power grid in the United States as costs fall and the need to store electricity soars. Data Dives

Bill Spindle < 1

How to get solar power from space

A step-by-step breakdown that involves 60,000 layers of power modules the size of coffee tables tens of thousands of miles away from Earth. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

Space solar inspires hope and skepticism as it inches closer to reality

The idea of powering the planet with energy from space is revolutionary and intriguing. Until recently, it seemed unfeasible.  Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

India’s clean-energy push stalls over China tensions

The story centers on transformers, machines that adjust electricity voltages, but it offers lessons for how the global energy transition writ large is intricately affected by geopolitics, economics and even extreme weather. Latest News

Anuradha Varanasi 5 min read

Charting Texas’ road to becoming a renewable energy powerhouse

Texas may be known for its love of fossil fuels, but that hasn’t gotten in the way of a renewable energy boom in the state. Wind, solar and batteries are all drastically changing the energy mix in the state’s electricity system. Data Dives

Bill Spindle 2 min read

Mapping clean energy on the highway

The very same roads that have fueled our car culture, and carbon emissions, could ultimately play a vital role powering our national grid with clean energy. Voices

Allie Kelly & Pat Cummens 3 min read

How investors can help solve AI’s energy problem

The road forward for artificial intelligence hinges on solving climate and energy challenges, so it is imperative investors back the entrepreneurs hard at work building sustainable solutions. Voices

Ben Hemani 3 min read

Energy storage on the rise as world bets on wind and solar

Global energy storage capacity will grow more than 600% over current levels by 2033, supporting the continued steep rise of wind and solar power. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Renewed interest in nuclear energy bolsters uranium prices

The price per pound of uranium has more than tripled over the past four years as interest in nuclear power has grown. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

Surging power demand fuels new nuclear interest, federal funding

The exploding global demand for energy, combined with the urgent race to reduce carbon emissions, is focusing interest and investment on the once-staid, long-stagnant nuclear industry. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

How to understand new nuclear energy

The nuclear industry is attempting to reinvent itself. To meet growing demand for clean, always-on energy, companies and governments are developing innovative nuclear plants that come in smaller sizes and use more advanced, and potentially safer, technologies. Explainers

Cat Clifford 6 min read

Singapore seeks leading role in clean energy

Southeast Asia doesn't have a regional capital to act as organizer and promoter of its clean energy efforts. Singapore is trying to step into that role. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Plotting a new clean industrial revolution

Cipher journalists were on the ground in London last week covering the second-ever Breakthrough Energy Summit. Here are some of the key takeaways from that event. Latest News

Cipher Staff 6 min read

Europe enters elections as global clean power leader

As Europeans head to the polls this weekend to vote in the European Union’s parliamentary elections, they can boast one of the cleanest electricity mixes in the world. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

China makes most of the world’s batteries

The energy transition depends on batteries and right now, China dominates almost every stage of the process of making them, a recent report makes clear. Data Dives

Cat Clifford < 1

Inside a (nearly) ‘net-zero’ natural gas plant

NET Power's demonstration plant is an example of innovative efforts in a small but growing segment of the oil and gas industry to find ways to reduce emissions associated with using their products. Explainers

Cat Clifford 6 min read

Latin American energy spotlight: Guyana, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago

Many Latin American and Caribbean nations could become major clean energy players — but may rely on fossil fuel revenues to do so. We take a look at the energy transition in three countries. Explainers

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

Global cleantech competition threatens Latin American and Caribbean ambitions

Latin American and Caribbean nations are poised to embrace the energy transition, but stiff competition from the United States and the European Union are making those ambitions harder to meet. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

Renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil fuels in Asia 

After spiking in 2022, the average cost of renewable energy dropped below the average cost of fossil fuels in Asia, a critical region with rapidly growing energy needs. Data Dives

Bill Spindle 2 min read

How we can fix the electrician shortage

Electricians have an indispensable role to play in the energy transition. And we need a lot more of them. Voices

Tracy K. Price 3 min read

Full U.S. energy loan chief interview: utilities, hydrogen and more

Jigar Shah, head of the U.S. Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office, shares his thoughts on disrupting the power sector, hydrogen production and transportation and more. Latest News

Cat Clifford 8 min read

EPA’s new power plant rule spotlights carbon capture role in cutting emissions

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unveiled its final rule to limit carbon pollution from the existing fleet of coal-fired plants and not yet built natural gas fired plants. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

U.S. energy loan chief on hydrogen, peak power demand, pipelines and his coffee mug

Cipher sits down with Jigar Shah, director of the Loan Programs Office in the U.S. Energy Department for a Q&A about the energy transition landscape. Q&A

Cat Clifford 4 min read

U.S. energy loan chief wants “culture and norms” disrupted

Jigar Shah is trying to use his perch overseeing the department’s Loan Programs Office to help move the multi-headed behemoth that is the U.S. electricity industry into a decarbonized future. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

Europe’s grid expansion out of sync with renewables goals

Clean energy technologies can be deployed in Europe much faster than transmission lines can be built or upgraded. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Australia’s top renewable energy state aims for more, much more

The state of South Australia has too much renewable energy. It plans to build way more. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

Surging power demand spurs smarter electric grid use

Electricity demand is going up; building new transmission lines is really hard. But there are a number of improvements that could help us get more out of the existing grid today. Explainers

Cat Clifford 7 min read

Power needs, natural gas and AI dominate CERAWeek debate

Tension between climate change and energy security was on display at the Houston confab. Latest News

Cat Clifford & Amena H. Saiyid 7 min read

CO2 emissions from producing hydrogen vary wildly

Relying on even a relatively small share of grid electricity to make hydrogen with an electrolyzer can have significant carbon costs if the grid itself is dirty. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

AI teeters between climate boon and energy burden

Artificial intelligence can help tackle the thorniest climate problems. But there’s a catch: It uses a ton of energy. Latest News

Cat Clifford 6 min read

China, India lean on coal-fired power to shore up economies

The emissions increase from coal-fired generation in these two countries along with emissions from other emerging economies more than offset the declines in coal power achieved by the United States, the European Union and other wealthier economies. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid < 1

A treasure hunt for underground hydrogen is on

Producing hydrogen with current technologies takes a lot of energy and is carbon intensive. Geologic hydrogen could sidestep both obstacles, which could ultimately reduce costs. Explainers

Cat Clifford 7 min read

Your definitive guide to understanding hydrogen

What is hydrogen and why is everybody talking about it now? Consider this your hydrogen cheat sheet.  Explainers

Cat Clifford 4 min read

Why we need a more ambitious global energy target

The world is committing to expanding energy access to all, but our current target is too low. Without a new approach, we will leave billions of people behind — and drive an even bigger wedge between rich and poor nations over climate policy. Voices

Todd Moss 3 min read

Europe turns to energy-intensive imports amid high electricity prices

One consequence of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis has been a slump in domestic manufacturing and an increase in energy-intensive imports to the bloc. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

Airports face an energy “perfect storm” — but there’s a way out

The traditional energy infrastructure airport operators have relied on for the past half century may not be able to keep pace with ballooning power requirements. For many airports, it’s time to think outside the grid.   Voices

Juan Macias 3 min read

In a first, EU wind power surpasses natural gas power

Fossil generation accounted for less than a third of EU power generation last year. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Europe maintains renewables momentum in electricity generation

Onshore and offshore wind made up more than half of the energy coming from renewables. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

After centuries worrying about energy supply, the world turns its attention to demand

Virtual Power Plants, aggregations of devices that produce, store and use electricity, are poised to bring new attention to the demand side of power systems. Explainers

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Unlocking the grid is key to meeting global renewable goal

Tripling global renewable energy capacity by decade’s end is possible if all the wind and solar capacity currently languishing in regulatory limbo is hooked up to the power grid. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid < 1

The realities of supplying abundant clean energy

We are inadvertently creating systems that either will not eliminate CO2, or will produce less abundant and less reliable energy. The solution is to focus on the complete energy system. Voices

W.D. Budinger & Paul Bauman 3 min read

Wind and solar drive growth of clean power in Latin America

Renewables represent more than half of annual capacity additions in the last three years. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

In Dubai at COP28, nuclear fusion makes first-ever appearance

Universal fanfare over nuclear fusion was a counterpoint to often frustrated clashes at COP28 over the role of fossil fuels in the energy transition. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

How Prometheus sheds light on Africa’s energy future

The current energy transition isn’t humanity’s first, but it is perhaps the most monumental. Unlike its predecessors, this transition is urgent — and must benefit everyone. Voices

Andrew Kamau 3 min read

Permitting delays could massively slow offshore wind growth

Permitting bottlenecks for renewable energy projects have been getting more attention from policymakers over the last year, but more solutions are needed, Norwegian consultancy says. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Exclusive: U.S. pushes to ensure nuclear “is not forgotten” in COP renewables pledge

It’s also pushing for language that recognizes the need to halt investments in new coal power plants. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

How a coal town revived itself and lessons for others

West Virginia, a major producer of coal and natural gas, should take a cue from Washington, a state whose energy system is dominated by hydropower but whose past featured coal. Voices

Sean O'Leary 3 min read

Iron batteries offer an energy transition lesson

In Colorado, a promising new battery technology is being prepared for use by the state’s largest utility, Xcel Energy. It’s called an “iron-air” battery and, quite fittingly, it will be built in the iron and steel town of Pueblo. Voices

Simon Lomax 3 min read

Startups race to make steel cheaply and cleanly

Electra and Boston Metal are among a handful of startups seeking to upend the traditional emissions-intensive way of making steel. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

G20 leaders meet as their average coal emissions rise

When leaders of the world’s 20 richest countries gather in India this weekend, they will confront an unsettling fact: Their collective emissions from coal-fired electricity actually increased over the last seven years. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

How AI and electric cars can rescue the grid

Last September, two months before the launch of ChatGPT, artificial intelligence (AI) was already helping keep the lights on for thousands of Californians during a historic heatwave. Voices

Annette Clayton 3 min read

One year into climate law, data shows U.S. lagging 2030 goals

One year after becoming law, recent studies by the Rhodium Group and BloombergNEF show the Inflation Reduction Act will have "a muted impact" on the industrial, agricultural and building sectors of the economy. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid < 1

Wind Blows Favorably on Japan’s North Island

Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido offers some of the most promising waters for offshore wind development. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

Bonus solar tax credits depend on unbuilt U.S. factories

Solar energy developers could earn bonus tax credits for using American-made content in their solar cells—but the factories making those key parts are not yet up and running. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid < 1

As tax debate rages, massive scale needed for clean hydrogen

The United States will need to turbocharge clean hydrogen production if it hopes to meet the Biden administration’s ambitious targets, according to a recent study by two think tanks. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

Offshore wind to test Europe’s teamwork

Europe is betting heavily on offshore wind to decarbonize its energy system and boost its energy security, looking at the North Sea—nestled between seven countries and connected to the Atlantic Ocean—as its next giant green power plant. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

Permitting stands in the way of a fossil-free electric grid

With the White House and members of the United States Congress debating how to expedite the nation’s permitting process for energy projects, a recent Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study shows what’s at stake. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid < 1

How to understand the U.S. battle over hydrogen tax credits

A battle as complex as it is significant is brewing in the global race to secure government subsidies to scale up an American clean hydrogen economy. Explainers

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

In a first, U.S. renewables generation overtakes coal

The United States generated more electricity from renewable energy than from coal last year, a first that illustrates the transition underway in the country. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid < 1

Renewables boss says world needs to prop up new energy system

Power grids, undersea cables and ports are overlooked yet essential connectors ensuring renewable energy can flow across great distances from production to consumption. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Record U.S. renewable electricity to replace fossil fuel power

The U.S. electricity grid is undergoing a rapid energy about-face: A record amount of clean energy is set to come online this year at the same time fossil-fuel power plants keep retiring at a fast clip, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid < 1

Nuclear support grows amid push for clean hydrogen

The United States’ first hydrogen plant fueled by nuclear energy has just powered up in New York. The moment reflects two trends converging in the past few years. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

Energy consumption to peak by mid-century

Global energy demand is set to peak by mid-century as energy efficiency improves and energy use is increasingly decarbonized, according to the annual energy outlook from multinational oil and gas company BP released last week. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Moving from talk to action on grid reliability

Increasingly common severe weather events are catapulting America’s aging power system into the headlines. When the lights are out for even a few hours, life as we know it is disrupted, often with tragic consequences. Voices

Rob Gramlich 3 min read

Massive cleantech deployment needed to reach net zero

Countries need to “dramatically” increase the scale and speed of clean energy technology deployment for a chance to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century, the International Energy Agency (IEA) found in a new report. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Low-carbon power and electric vehicle investments drive path to net zero

The world needs to nearly triple investments in low-carbon electricity and carbon capture technologies in the power sector for a chance to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, according to a new report by BloombergNEF. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Led by Vietnam, Asian nations fuel world’s solar capacity growth

Five of the top 10 nations with the most solar electricity capacity are in Asia, according to a new report. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Renewables need to more than double in power sector by 2030: report

The share of renewables in global electricity generation would need to more than double by 2030 to ensure the power sector is on a path to net-zero emissions, according to a report out Tuesday by several international organizations. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

No energy access leaves millions scrambling for survival, says U.N. special rep

The world needs to drastically step up funding to end energy poverty or risk leaving millions of people in poor countries fighting for their lives. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

American air conditioners are energy hogs

As the world warms—due largely to climate change—more and more people will need air conditioning, creating a cruel feedback loop: as the Earth warms, we use more air conditioning, which could warm the planet even more. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Why smart meters need to be more like smart phones

Smart meters measure how much electricity and other types of energy buildings use primarily for billing purposes and to help utilities run the power grid. Voices

Mike Phillips 3 min read

More investment and lower costs: Three charts on the Inflation Reduction Act

Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

How heat powers our world and how to clean it up

Heating things up accounts for the single largest share of our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. By things, we mean a whole laundry list of key ingredients in our lives. Explainers

Amy Harder 4 min read

Wind, solar can be main source of EU clean grid by 2035, report says

Wind and solar energy can become Europe’s dominant source of electricity as part of an almost entirely clean power system by 2035, according to a recent report by climate think tank Ember. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

If we can’t build things, we can’t tackle climate change: potential solutions

The U.S. government, venture capitalists and academics are looking for solutions to a messy trio of local opposition, outdated permitting processes and backlogged bureaucracy that’s threatening to upend America’s rapid shift to clean energy. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Africa poised for clean energy potential, but basic needs lacking

A lack of basic access to energy sources remains one of the main barriers to Africa’s industrial development, according to a report out this month from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

If we can’t build things, we can’t tackle climate change: the problem

Local opposition, convoluted permitting processes and backlogged bureaucracies are hamstringing our attempts to tackle climate change. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

U.S. clean energy grows, but new power lines don’t

The number of renewable energy projects seeking approval to connect to electricity grids has increased significantly in recent years, yet the number of miles of new power lines constructed over a similar timeline has gone down. Data Dives

Amy Harder 2 min read

Electricity-powered hydrogen to dominate by 2050: report

Hydrogen produced from electricity will be the dominant form of production by mid-century, according to a forecast released this week by Oslo-based consulting group DNV. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Hydro, nuclear provide bulk of world’s zero-emitting power

This chart is a reminder of the historically dominant roles that nuclear and hydro play in providing zero-carbon electricity—and the unprecedented growth of wind and solar. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

EU electric charging points booming but not across the board

The European Union’s public electric charging infrastructure has been growing quickly, but the adoption rate varies greatly across member states. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Stark changes in electricity needed to limit global warming

Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Renewables to dominate Africa’s soaring electricity demand

Wind and solar power are set to account for roughly two-thirds of Africa’s on-grid electricity by 2050 in a future where the world drastically reduces heat-trapping emissions, according to a new study by consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Data Dives

Amy Harder 2 min read

Coal use and power demand boost CO2 emissions

Carbon dioxide emissions are up again—and increased coal use is the main culprit. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Utilities’ climate goals have little impact on emissions

Utilities have been at the forefront of a corporate-wide move in pledging new goals to slash carbon emissions. But many of these goals lack integrity, according to a new study by the NewClimate Institute. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Visualizing the deployment gap in cars, carbon and more

The climate provisions of the Build Back Better bill would give a boost of anywhere between 39% and 75% in key clean energy technologies, according to data by Rhodium Group. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Whether cars or energy storage, let’s be enthusiastic for portfolios

Many people concerned with reducing greenhouse gas emissions have become enthusiasts about a particular technology (wind, solar, nuclear, etc.) and argue that technology alone could address most of our climate challenge. Voices

Jaqueline A. Dowling 2 min read

Storage deals soar since 2018

Investments in long duration energy storage have increased by nearly a factor of 13 since 2018. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Forget silver bullets. We need silver buckshot to tackle climate change.

Clichés, as trite as they are, exist for a good reason. They simplify complex topics. “Silver bullet” is one we know well. It implies one solution can solve all of a given problem. Explainers

Amy Harder 3 min read

Demand for clean energy is growing, so it better be there

Tadeu Carneiro, a 40-year veteran of the metals and mining industry, has bet his career on making steel from zero-emission electricity. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

A rapidly growing electricity system

The amount of electricity capacity we need in a world reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is anywhere between four and nearly eight times more than what we have today, according to BloombergNEF. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Hurdles abound in race to build more clean energy

As conference attendees were waking up last week for the annual United Nations climate conference underway in Glasgow, Scotland, voters in Maine were rejecting a proposed power line sending Canadian hydropower to Massachusetts. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Heavy lifting on slashing emissions—now and later

President Biden’s pledge to the Paris Climate Agreement to cut America’s emissions in half by 2030 could be met largely by reductions in the electricity sector, according to a report by the research firm Rhodium Group. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

What’s really driving the energy crisis and how cleantech fits in

Much of the world is facing an energy crisis with skyrocketing prices of oil, natural gas and coal—or even worse, no fuel at all. Explainers

Amy Harder 3 min read

Energy storage poised to soar

Driven by massive amounts of variable wind and solar power, annual global storage deployment is set to nearly triple this year, according to a new Wood Mackenzie report. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1