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A photo of an older man wearing glasses, looking up hopefully with a little smile on his face. He wears a suit and tie and the light around him is purple. There are other people and screens out of focus in the background. — Exclusive: Bill Gates on Trump’s big bill, AI and more
Gates told Cipher in an exclusive interview that the Trump administration’s recently enacted law rolling back many climate incentives was not as bad as could have been expected. Latest News
Amy Harder 3 min read

An illustration that has six black and white portraits of six people. Background behind those portraits is a deep blue. — The Cipher team reflects on the last four years — and looks ahead
Cipher News has covered the global energy transition with an eye on the possible and a clear-eyed perspective. Latest News
Cipher Staff 7 min read

An illustration that includes the Pakistani flag, two wind turbines, and a man in sunglasses standing and talking with his hands in front of some wind turbines. — Pakistan’s wind power is going to waste
Pakistan's wind potential is not being fully utilized. Cipher toured Zephyr Power's 50-megawatt wind farm in the Sindh province to understand the problems facing the wind sector. Latest News
Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

Schoolchildren shade their eyes from the strong sunlight as they watch the solar panels hoisted to the roof of their community school in Nar in Northern Pakistan. Photo by Amena H. Saiyid — Solar power is everywhere in Pakistan—here’s what that looks like
To say solar power is booming in Pakistan is an understatement. On a recent trip to my native country, I was overwhelmed by the omnipresence of solar energy in nearly every corner. Latest News
Amena H. Saiyid 6 min read

Fake news causes headaches for Europe’s wind industry

False narratives around the impact of wind energy have morphed from small-scale opposition to globally coordinated campaigns targeting the technology as a whole. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

An illustration that has a wind turbine in the center and a shadowy figure pointing to a phone off to the left, with a social media thumbs down icon above the figure and shadowy protestors to the right of the wind turbine. The background is a dark-ish blue color.

Clean hydrogen’s tricky path to production

A unique demonstration project in Chile is using clean hydrogen to make sustainable fuels. Latest News

Bill Spindle & Patricia Garip 5 min read

An illustration of a tank of hydrogen, with hydrogen written on the tank in Spanish. The tank is an orange-y yellow. Behind it, there are wind turbines in the same yellow color and the background is an aqua blue.

New horizons for nuclear power on the banks of Lake Michigan

The Palisades nuclear power plant is getting a second act. It’s a sign of new investment and interest taking hold in the nuclear industry. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

A collage that includes the state of Michigan, a drawing of a lake and a black and white photo of a nuclear power plant.

At world’s biggest nuclear plant, how to restart a giant

Building a new nuclear plant takes billions of dollars and many years. One way to potentially speed up that process is to restart existing nuclear plants. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

A photo of a beach and a blustery sea, with a large industrial facility visible behind some haze in the background.

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

An illustration of a robot hand holding up a rectangular box with a shield and a lock on the front as well as a depiction of a solar panel and a wind turbine. The box is green and the background is blue.

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

An illustration of a robot with

With Trump’s support, nuclear energy eyes a revival

Amid its high-profile embrace of fossil fuels, the Trump administration is also backing nuclear energy, a carbon-free and steady source of power with enduring bipartisan support. The commitment is coming at a key time for the sector. Latest News

Cat Clifford 6 min read

An illustration of a nuclear cooling tower with a ladder on it and a construction barrier in front of it, with packing boxes surrounding it. There are also boxes on the tower with drawings of President Trump, a checklist and the U.S. Capitol building. The background is green.

Brazil’s COP30 chief makes the case for why climate summits matter

The Latin American country is facing a rapidly changing world order as it prepares to host delegates for the next climate summit in November. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Two men sit on stage in front of a white background; the man on the left holds a microphone and is gesturing while he talks. Both men are wearing suits.

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

Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaking at the Geothermal House DC MAGMA event hosted by nonprofit geothermal advocacy organization Project InnerSpace on Tuesday March 4.

Five ways America risks global leadership on cleantech and climate

The Trump administration’s war on clean energy, from solar panels to electric cars and batteries, could imperil the United States’ leadership globally as those technologies gain favor around the world. Latest News

Cipher Staff 6 min read

An illustration of four flags -- U.S., EU, UK and China, skiing down a snowy slope that is also a solar panel. The flags have cartoon arms and legs and skis and poles. The U.S. flag is waiting at the top of the slope while the other three flags race down. Snow flurries and windmills are in the background.

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

A phot of the outside of a large glass building with palm trees out front, a blue sky, and a flag in front of the building that reads

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

Illustration: An aging man with long white hair holds up a clock that goes from 2016 to 2025 and has a smokestack in it emitting lots of smoke. The background behind the man, who is in black and white, is green and dotted with icons: an oil drum, a shipping container, an oil jack, the state of Texas, and a little decal that reads

These types of climate technologies could receive a bump under Trump

Clean energy technologies long considered compatible with oil and natural gas are likely to have a leading edge in the U.S. The shifting landscape has been evident in Houston this week at an annual energy confab. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid & Bill Spindle 5 min read

An illustration of an oil drilling machine (

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

An illustration with six bubbles against a blue background. The bubbles contain a cargo ship, electricity towers, an oil jack, a judge's gavel, a stack of documents and the words

Europe rushes to boost cleantech as US gives sector the cold shoulder

This new transatlantic dynamic could offer Europe the chance to reposition itself over the United States as a more attractive destination for cleantech investments. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

An illustration of a European Union and American flag with cartoon legs running in opposite directions on a running track. Icons of representing different clean energy technologies appear in the background.

Under Trump, carbon capture sector mulls rebrand and sees optimism

While some parts of the clean energy sector have faced high-profile criticism under the new Trump administration — think electric cars and wind energy — carbon capture technologies have so far not faced similar scrutiny. Uncertainty still looms large. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

An illustration with a cut out in the shape of Donald Trump's head with a power plant, cast in green, inside the cutout. On a blue background behind the cut out, there's also a scribbled silhouette of Trump's head in what looks like a darker blue marker.

Cipher roundup: Funding freeze, IRA, tariffs, layoffs and Russia

Cipher’s reporters have been following the latest energy and climate developments. We’re providing a high-level look at where things stand on several key topics, including quick analysis from our team and top news stories. Latest News

Cipher Staff 7 min read

A drawing of a tornado filled with clean energy tech — a wind turbine, a solar panel, etc., and a woman with a green lasso around the tornado, pulling on it. She has a green swizzle above her head to suggest confusion.

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

Eerie image at night of a dead tree sticking out of a lake in rural India with the top of a submerged temple visible in the background

On Chile’s coast, a rare earths mining operation seeks to uplift locals and counter China

A mining company backed by a traditional steelmaker takes a shot at mining rare earth elements along the Chilean coast. Latest News

Bill Spindle & Patricia Garip 5 min read

A photo of a rocky coastline, with trees and grasses in the foreground then water and a strip of land off in the distance. The sky is blue and a little bit hazy.

Miles high in the Andes, a lot depends on this lithium partnership

Chile has a lot to offer the world in terms of critical minerals for the energy transition. Getting those minerals out of the ground is neither simple or without cost. Latest News

Bill Spindle & Patricia Garip 6 min read

A photograph of a lake with bright blue, almost green, water, and a rocky red and dark gray mountain behind it.

A re-energized Trump seeks to boost fossil fuel production, dismantle climate programs

In the first 24 hours of his second presidency, Donald Trump laid the foundation for his “America First” energy agenda over the next four years. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

President Donald Trump sits at a desk with the seal of the president of the United States on it and holds up a black folder with two pieces of white paper on it with writing and his large signature in black ink. Vice President JD Vance stands behind him, looking up at the crowd. They are on stage at the Capital One Arena and in the photo you can see red electronic banners that read

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

Richard Town, who leads the inertial confinement fusion program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, standing inside the National Ignition Facility at Livermore.

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

Photo inside the chamber at the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Lab.

Eleventh-hour hydrogen rule to face uncertainty in Trump administration

The Biden administration released its long-awaited final guidance for clean hydrogen tax credits. The rules are crucial for the nascent sector to move forward — and face uncertainty under the incoming Trump administration. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

An illustration of a hydrogen plant powered by wind turbines on an island of green foliage floating on a blue backdrop.

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

A collage of many illustrations with a thin blue overlay and

Cipher analysis: Emerging clean technologies see sharp drop in investments this year

Spending announced for several key emerging clean technologies in the United States fell this year, as market forces, lack of infrastructure and political and regulatory uncertainty disrupted the momentum built up in recent years. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

An illustration of three large storage containers lined up in a row, one with

Japan’s idled nuclear plants increasingly eyed as a clean energy source

In a world scrambling for carbon-free electricity, nuclear power has stormed back into vogue. But these reactors don’t get built quickly or easily. Japan’s idle nuclear facilities make up one of the largest pools of ready, carbon-free energy potential in the world. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

A photo of a large industrial plant (a nuclear power plant) in the distance next to a large body of water. In the foreground, there are houses clustered on a hill.

Japan’s plan for net zero increasingly rests on a big hydrogen bet

Japanese executives and officials hope to keep fossil fuel power generators going and gradually replace the coal and gas with low-carbon ammonia, hydrogen and biomass. Betting big on the future hydrogen is risky, however. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

A giant hand holds up a hydrogen tank in front of the Japanese flag, a power plant and wind turbines.

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

An illustration showing the Northeastern United States and three green dots, one on Nantucket island and two on Long Island, with lines coming from a battery unit with

Six key takeaways from the UN climate summit in Azerbaijan

The COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan offered drama, tension and a last-minute deal. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

What Trump’s win means for China’s cleantech industry

The 2024 U.S. election results mean uncertainty — and potential opportunities — to Chinese firms and researchers. Latest News

Xiaoying You 5 min read

A photo of a solar panel in a manufacturing facility with flourescent lighting and workers in the background and big blue Chinese characters on the wall.

What does Trump’s win mean for the energy transition? We asked these 7 experts

Leading experts share what Trump's win in the U.S. presidential election means for domestic and global climate and clean energy initiatives. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

An illustration with a black and white photo of Trump in the center, the Capitol building behind him, and text boxes filled with clean energy icons all around him.

Chinese companies’ European hydrogen gambit

Several top manufacturers have flocked to Spain to open renewable hydrogen factories. Latest News

Xiaoying You 5 min read

A miniature, tabletop model of a large renewable energy plant and factory is on display at a conference. The model includes light up red and green lights and looks convincingly life-like.

As coal plants shut in Romania, some miners transition to green energy while others are reluctant

Miners are witnessing the slow and steady decline of a decades-old industry as Romania prepares to phase out coal. However, not many have taken the leap to equip themselves with new skills. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 6 min read

Photo of a coal plant in the distance, with tree tops in the foreground and low mountains in the background.

What it takes to build green energy in fossil fuel-dependent Wisconsin

For Wisconsin to lower its reliance fossil fuels, it will need a lot more solar farms. But in politically-purple Wisconsin, government pressure to pursue more clean energy has been middling. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

A hand puts the state of Wisconsin into a ballot box surrounded by cheese and piles of coal and solar panels.

Pennsylvania schools turn to solar for a cleaner — cheaper — future

The Steelton-Highspire school runs its buildings on 100% solar power and has a fleet of electric buses. In Steelton and communities like it across this politically divided state, the interest in clean energy stems primarily from the potential cost savings. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

An illustration with a blue background that has a hand holding the shape of Pennsylvania with

In Michigan, climate and clean energy initiatives are gaining momentum

The city of Ann Arbor in eastern Michigan shows how elections can make a difference in clean energy momentum. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

Illustration of a hand putting a cutout of the state of Michigan into a ballot box, with a tree, solar panels and an electric car drawn around the ballot box.

Progress under a microscope at New York Climate Week

Cipher’s team was on the ground in the Big Apple. In all the chaos and busyness, here’s what stood out to our reporters. Latest News

Cipher Staff 6 min read

Photo of traffic in NYC, a sign above the traffic warns of gridlock.

Lower interest rates should offer relief to renewables

The events of the last few years have changed the math for clean energy projects, and the industry’s challenges are far from over. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

An illustration of a wind turbine, solar panel and hydrogen tank with a parachute lowering a percent symbol.

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

A photograph of a red tug boat pulling a double-headed wind turbine out to sea.

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

An illustration of an astronaut of a ladder up into space from the surface of Earth, holding up a solar panel to get the rays of the sun. The solar panel is plugged into a plug on the surface of Earth.

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

Illustration of an electrical transformer box in front of an Indian flag, a map of the subcontinent and the word

Here’s how cleantech stacks up in three swing states

We take stock of cleantech and the election in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Latest News

Cipher Staff 5 min read

An illustration of the states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania above a ballot box where a hand is submitting a green leaf.

In Australia, renewable hydrogen dreams are meeting reality

Some of the initial high hopes for hydrogen as a clean energy source are falling back to earth in Australia. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

An illustration with a blue background, a map of Australia colored in with the country's flag, a tank of hydrogen with

Chinese solar firms pursue U.S., Europe markets despite obstacles

At a recent solar conference in Shanghai, “going overseas” — or in Mandarin, “chu hai” — was the phrase on everyone’s lips. Chinese solar panel manufacturers aim to surmount the unprecedented trade restrictions they face in the U.S. and Europe with three key strategies. Latest News

Xiaoying You 5 min read

Two men stand under a large solar array in a giant conference center space. Photo shot from floor level, looking up.

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

An illustration with a blue background showing a renaissance statue and two types of nuclear reactors.

COP29: Azerbaijan official on climate finance, fossil fuels

The ambassador from Azerbaijan to the Netherlands recently sat down with Cipher to talk about the upcoming United Nations climate summit being hosted in his home country. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

Aerial photo of a large solar power plant in a dry landscape.

In Southeast Asia, it’s a slow road to phasing out coal

Asia’s fleet of coal plants are one of knottiest challenges of the energy transition globally. They emit huge amounts of CO2, but are desperately needed to meet the region’s growing energy needs. Without intervention, they’ll be in use for decades to come. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Illustration of snail carrying a piece of coal on its back like a dumptruck over a map of southeast asia

Extreme weather prompts growth of parametric insurance, offering faster, more flexible payments after disasters

Based on a simple, data-driven model, such policies could especially benefit poor and remote areas threatened by climate change. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

A man in a red tshirt leans against a post and surveys a large brown and green field under a cloudy sky.

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

Singapore's skyline at sunset, dotted by spectacular tall buildings.

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

A large refurbished industrial space with steel beams and a glass ceiling. People mill about below.

Private sector “race to the top” crucial for the transition, John Kerry says

The energy transition has a price tag in the trillions of dollars. Securing all that funding will depend heavily on the private sector, says the former U.S. climate envoy. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Four people sit on a stage in front of an audience with the words

U.S. and EU must accelerate energy transition despite headwinds, say top policy advisors

Progress toward decarbonization is picking up, but the challenges are also growing, three top advisors told the audience at the Breakthrough Energy Summit in London. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Four people, a woman and three men, sit on stage in front of a large audience. One man is shown gesturing with his hands as he speaks on a video screen.

Scale matters. Let’s talk about it.

Grasping the enormity of our energy systems and the challenge of transitioning to clean energy is like trying to imagine how many teaspoons of saltwater make up the ocean. Latest News

Cat Clifford 6 min read

Illustration of a large, white factory building in a desert surrounded by mountains.

Elections highlight the missing energy transition narrative

To effectively address climate change, governments need to both enact the right laws and ensure their populations support those laws, so they stick around long enough to make a dent in our planet’s warming. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

Illustration of people gathered around a table from above, table is green and holds little objects like a euro symbol made of coins, mini cows, a toy car, a toy tractor, and a small wind turbine. The hands around the table are all pointing at different objects.

Get to know this secret climate tech star

Catch up on Cipher's full profile of MIT professor and serial entrepreneur Yet-Ming Chiang. Latest News

Cat Clifford 11 min read

Illustration with a blue background showing the same man in a variety of different poses.

How a secret climate star turns ‘stone soup’ into climate progress

Professor and serial entrepreneur Yet-Ming Chiang's superpower is getting the right people around a cutting-edge idea and helping bring out their best Latest News

Cat Clifford 6 min read

Three men stand in front of a sheer rock face.

Meet the MIT professor who is a secret star of climate tech innovation

If you’re not deeply enmeshed in climate tech innovation, there’s a good chance you don’t know the name Yet-Ming Chiang. But if you are, you probably do — or you know about the companies he has helped launch. Latest News

Cat Clifford 6 min read

A man stands smiling with his arms crossed in front of scientific laboratory equipment.

The carbon credit industry attempts a comeback

Over the last two years, the industry has faced a barrage of critical news stories, academic studies and lawsuits. But in recent weeks, carbon credits have received some big boosts. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Illustration with a green background, showing a cloud with

How one oil producer is pursuing “net-zero” oil

On its face, the phrase “net zero oil” may sound like an oxymoron. But Texas oil major Occidental Petroleum already has a buyer lined up to purchase such a product. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

Illustration showing a barrel of oil with

Lithium leads critical minerals boom: Cipher tracker

North Carolina and Nevada are emerging as centers of mining and processing lithium, a mineral critical for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage. The article examines the progress the United States has made since the enactment of key federal laws in establishing manufacturing facilities to make battery ready lithium. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 6 min read

An illustration showing a map of a region in North Carolina where there is a proposed lithium mine and someone holding up a rock containing lithium.

How teamwork could be Europe’s secret sauce on cleantech

The European Union is scrambling not to lag behind in the global cleantech race. One solution? Be a better team player at home. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

Solar power poised for even greater breakthroughs

Solar panels have become the workhorse of the energy transition. Yet visits to two of the world’s leading solar power research laboratories underscore that the technology has a lot more to deliver for the energy transition. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

A field of solar panels under a blue sky.

Latin America and the Caribbean are at an energy crossroads

Leaders from the region talk about the challenges and opportunities the energy transition poses for their countries. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 9 min read

A map of Central and part of South America, with the outlines of Brazil, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago emphasized. A little sun and a solar panel sit in the top righthand corner on top of a blue background.

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

Located along the Brazil-Paraguay border on the Parana River, Itaipu Dam is the world's third largest hydroelectric dam.

Europe passes cleantech law everyone agrees is not enough

Europe’s new law is meant to make it easier to get a manufacturing hub off the ground for key clean technologies. Supporters say the law is a good step forward; critics say it's a missed opportunity. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

A glass cylindrical building with the EU flag and the flags of European countries waving in the wind outside.

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

An photo collage including a picture of Jigar Shah, head of the DOE's Loan Programs Office, a government building, and solar panels.

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

A man, Michael Regan, speaks in a wood paneled room (a Congressional hearing room).

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

Photo of the the Department of Energy Building in downtown Washington DC, USA, against a blue backdrop.

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

Illustration with a light blue background, showing a mountain of solar panels and wind turbines with an Australian flag sticking out of the renewable energy mountain.

Europe’s wind ambitions require a makeover for the ports

Ports are an often-overlooked yet crucial part of the wind industry. They need to expand to move around parts for increasingly bigger wind turbines. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 6 min read

Illustration with a blue background showing photos of offshore wind turbines being installed and a large ship docked at a port surrounded by tall cranes.

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

Houston CERA Week photo

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

Aerial view of a modular data center, with mountains in the background of the photo.

Climate, AI and energy security drive CERAWeek confab

One of the world’s largest energy conferences, CERAWeek, is underway this week in Texas. It's the first major gathering of the energy industry since COP28. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

An illustration of a group of people milling about in front of a sign that says

Biofuels offer low-hanging fruit in nascent carbon capture industry

Ethanol’s characteristics — smaller plants and denser streams of CO2 emissions — make carbon capture easier and cheaper compared with other industries. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

An ear of corn hangs from a drying stalk in a field of corn with a grain storage tank out of focus in the background.

John Kerry left his climate mark — and he’s not done

As the U.S. climate envoy prepares to leave his current post, he reflects on his career and how he plans to stay engaged in climate action. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 6 min read

An illustration depicts John Kerry sitting at a speaking engagement, with a group of climate change industry icons behind him.

Global energy watchdog puts on climate ‘referee’ hat

With higher profile, the IEA chief, Fatih Birol, faces scrutiny from all sides. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 7 min read

The exterior of a fancy marble building in Paris, lit up with blue lights and the letters

Fusion power takes a commercial turn

The quest to create fusion energy — the engine that powers the stars — has overcome many challenges. Now comes perhaps the biggest: How to make money with it? Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Inside a nuclear fusion facility that is being constructed. There is a large hole in the concrete floor where the reactor will eventually go, and a drawing of the reactor on the wall opposite the hole.

In India, battery swapping fuels electric market for 2 and 3 wheels

India’s 2- and 3-wheeler market has taken up battery swapping, and new business models. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

A man drives a three-wheeled auto rickshaw through the streets of Rajasthan, India. The auto rickshaw is yellow and green and the background is black and white. A woman wearing yellow sits in the backseat, her dupatta covering her face.

Europe struggles to balance emission cuts with political realities

The EU is mulling ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions by 2040 ahead of politically-sensitive parliamentary elections this year. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

A see saw with a wind-powered hydrogen plant on one side and a tractor on the other, with the stars of the European Union behind it.

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the hydrogen

Texas and neighboring Louisiana have attracted some of the biggest clean hydrogen projects in the country, according to Cipher's new Cleantech Tracker. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

An illustration in black and white with an outline of the state of Texas and two hydrogen molecules, as well as a construction crane and hydrogen storage facilities in the background.

Biden administration proposes tight clean power limits for making hydrogen

Biden administration proposes strict criteria for claiming production tax credits for producers using grid power to make hydrogen. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

Image of John Podesta

Japanese venture capital takes up climate finance

Rising concern about climate among Japan’s youth combined with a burgeoning enthusiasm in traditional corporate Japan for clean technologies has led to a new focus on venture capital and startups. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Yasuda Auditorium at the University of Tokyo in the foreground, with a Japanese flag overlay. Additionally, in the background, there is an image of solar panels and wind turbines.

Top takeaways from historic COP28 deal on fossil fuels

Bill Spindle 2 min read

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

Gabriela Hearst, Bob Mumgaard and Ernest Moniz on a panel at COP28

Oil and gas companies step into the spotlight at COP28

A flurry of announcements from the industry was at least partly aimed at blunting an unprecedented push for the eventual elimination of fossil fuel use. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

An exterior photo of a giant exhibition hall in Dubai, with posters for COP28 outside.

Gulf petrostates bring an increasingly complex relationship with fossil fuels to COP28

With COP28 happening in Dubai, petrostates like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are in the spotlight. The glare can be harsh, but it also reveals their increasingly complicated relationship with fossil fuels. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

Skyscrapers and construction cranes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Europe to find out true price of renewable hydrogen

A first-of-its-kind pilot auction, meant to ensure there will be users ready to buy renewable hydrogen, kicks off in Europe at the end of November. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

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African energy leader calls for reality check on minerals extraction

The world is failing to pay sufficient attention to the energy-intensive practice of mineral extraction, which takes place under questionable human rights and working conditions in many low- and middle-income countries, Amani Abou-Zeid told Cipher. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Amani Abou-Zeid speaks on a panel at an energy conference.

Exclusive: In a first, MIT trains students to resolve clean energy conflicts

Students get academic credit and experience addressing real-world dilemmas, while the community and developer get free help resolving conflict. Latest News

Amy Harder 5 min read

Illustration of social panels surrounded by hands shaking in agreement

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

Aerial view of a nuclear power plant in France.

Cleantech startups spot government funding gap

Proponents of clean steel say they have identified a gap in tax credits that affects makers of a wide range of sustainable materials. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Worker pouring liquid metal into a crucible

Proposed ‘forever chemicals’ ban rattles Europe’s cleantech sector

PFAS are little discussed in the clean energy industry yet they are crucial components of technologies like wind turbines, renewable hydrogen, electric batteries and power grids. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Red background with a hazard warning sign in the middle surrounded by a white drawing of a wind turbine, a battery, a solar panel, and an electrolyzer.

Three takeaways from chatting with the EU Green Deal chief

Maroš Šefčovič talks fossil fuels, geopolitics and cleantech funding. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Man wearing a suit talks into a red microphone with European Union flags blurred in the background.

Norway leader on deep-sea mining, carbon capture and wind woes

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke candidly about his views on global and domestic energy and climate policies with Cipher Executive Editor Amy Harder at New York Climate Week. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid & Amy Harder 3 min read

Cipher Executive Editor Amy Harder interviews Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre

Europe to the world: don’t give up on 1.5 degrees goal

“We are really playing with the future of the next generation,” the EU's Green Deal chief said in an exclusive interview with Cipher. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Photo of Maroš Šefčovič

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

Steel beams that will eventually form the ceiling of a building criss-cross across a clear blue sky.

Exclusive: United inks largest deal for clean jet fuel with novel method

Houston-based startup Cemvita has inked a deal with United Airlines to supply 50,000 gallons a year of clean jet fuel made by microbes using recycled CO2. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

Photo of an airplane landing on a runway

Border carbon taxes poised to shut out lower income nations

Critics say a border carbon tax on dirtier and cheaper imports will result in an unjust energy transition for poorer countries in violation of the Paris Agreement. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Flags of developing countries over a picture of the Earth on one side and pennies cut to look like Pacmen surround a smokestack on the other.

Europe sparks U.S. border carbon tax talks

Taking a page from the EU playbook, U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are considering a border carbon tax on cheaper and dirtier imports. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Pacman coin engulfing ships and a factory representing dirty carbon imports.

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

Graphic depicting wind turbines in Japan

Carbon recyclers say climate law could hurt business

Companies re-utilizing CO2 in the production of everyday products did not receive the same tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act as those involved in storing CO2, prompting questions of parity. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Smoke stacks in red and sustainable products like a dress and a plane in blue. Carbon emissions being reutilized in fabric, aviation fuel, etc.. instead of being released into the atmosphere.

Japan, an economic leader in Asia, lags on renewable energy

Japan, the only Asian member of the elite Group of Seven countries (G7), is lagging in its efforts to decarbonize the world’s third-largest economy, according to climate advocates and scientists. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 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

Paper weighing down Europe’s renewables push

COPENHAGEN — Dozens of thick, paper-filled binders stand carefully lined up next to each other across an office hallway. The thousands of printed pages are the documents one developer needs to physically hand in to apply for a permit to build a small wind farm in Germany. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

U.S. carbon storage projects pile up at EPA

As Washington wages parallel battles on permitting and new environmental regulations, one conundrum crisscrosses both: A pileup of permit applications to store carbon dioxide underground. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 5 min read

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

Europe wants to capture business by storing carbon under the sea

Nestled between seven countries and connected to the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea has long been crucial to European development with diverse fishing grounds, key shipping routes and generous oil and gas reserves. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

Despite banking crisis, cleantech outlook stays positive

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank—a huge lender to clean energy technology startups—poses short-term risk to the sector, but experts say its outlook over the longer horizon remains positive. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

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

Cleantech race risks sidelining developing countries

The global cleantech race underway between the United States, Europe and China could leave developing countries behind. The world’s major economies are competing to become industrial leaders in the burgeoning cleantech sector. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

As the world bakes, developing world scrambles to adapt

The world is not cutting emissions fast enough to slow climate change, leaving everyone—but especially developing nations—scrambling to adapt to a hotter planet and its extreme-weather consequences. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

How to unlock clean tech for the developing world

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt—A half day’s drive from this resort town where thousands are gathered at an annual climate gathering, one of the world’s biggest solar farms stands as a rare example of how clean energy can be financed and built in a developing country. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Clean tech is not reaching the developing world fast enough

Not enough cash is flowing to clean energy technologies in the developing world, widening the investment gap between rich and poorer countries and hampering the energy transition. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Energy security and new laws fuel clean energy race

Nations are increasingly competing to establish themselves as pioneers of clean energy technologies, racing to boost energy self-sufficiency and green their economies. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Climate tech getting a boost but needs to reach all countries

Governments and the private sector in rich countries are stepping up investments in clean energy innovation, but more must be done to ensure both capital and cleantech reach the developing world. Latest News

Anca Gurzu < 1

Europe grapples with energy crisis while climate pressure ramps up

World leaders are gathering this week in the United States at two key conferences aimed at ratcheting up pressure to turn ambitious climate goals into reality. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

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

U.S. climate spending comes with a global perk: regained respect

The United States’ decision to pour hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up clean energy may have given the country more than what money can bring: an opportunity to renew its credibility at November’s international climate negotiations. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Bracing for winter, Europe clings to natural gas

August is the time to hit the beach in Europe, but for many the focus is on something cooler: Winter is coming. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Europe’s solar goals caught up in high prices—and China

The European Union wants to ally with the sun to boost energy security and meet climate goals but soaring prices for essential raw materials could thwart those plans. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Europe jockeys for space in renewables race

Time to take out a map and get organized. It sounds basic, yet it’s an important—and potentially contentious—exercise the European Union is embarking on to figure out the best spots to fit more wind and solar farms. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Energy savings: an easy option but a tough sell

Building renovations, heat pumps and triple-glazed windows are rarely the talk of the town—yet these kinds of energy efficiency measures are central to the European Union’s plan to shed Russian fossil fuels following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Fight brews in Europe over how to supply renewable hydrogen

Tucked between two fjords, the Norwegian peninsula of Herøya recently became home to the world’s first fully automated facility that builds electrolyzers. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Slow approval of renewables projects puts climate goals at risk

In 2012, a Danish renewable energy developer applied for a permit to build an offshore wind farm in the country’s southern waters that could power 350,000 homes. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Geopolitics lurk in EU’s bet on green hydrogen in energy transition

The European Union is working hard to rid itself of Russian natural gas, and in the process the 27-member bloc is betting on a different gas as a clean alternative: green hydrogen. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

The real test of the EU’s energy freedom goals: sticking with the plan

In the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European leaders have vowed to shed their dependence on Russian gas and charge full speed into tapping renewable energy. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

EU’s pipeline politics shows urgency of green energy transition

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has gotten the European Union scrambling for both political solutions and alternative sources of energy to replace the fossil fuel it’s hugely reliant on: natural gas. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read