Energy

The changing face of how we power our cars, homes, and lives—from our reliance on fossil fuels to a renewable-energy future.

Latest in Energy

The 123,000 MPH Plasma Engine That Could Finally Take Astronauts To Mars

Science

The 123,000 MPH Plasma Engine That Could Finally Take Astronauts To Mars The 123,000 MPH Plasma Engine That Could Finally Take Astronauts To Mars

By Sam Howe Verhovek

World’s Most Powerful X-Ray-Making Accelerator To Open This Year On Long Island

Environment

World’s Most Powerful X-Ray-Making Accelerator To Open This Year On Long Island World’s Most Powerful X-Ray-Making Accelerator To Open This Year On Long Island

By Francie Diep

Testing the Goods: Horizon MiniPak Portable Fuel Cell Charger

Environment

Testing the Goods: Horizon MiniPak Portable Fuel Cell Charger Testing the Goods: Horizon MiniPak Portable Fuel Cell Charger

By Sarah Parsons

Getting hot in here

Environment

New Kind Of Material Stores Heat Till You Squeeze It New Kind Of Material Stores Heat Till You Squeeze It

By Mary Beth Griggs

The Last Drops: How to Bridge the Gap Between Oil and Green Energy

Environment

The Last Drops: How to Bridge the Gap Between Oil and Green Energy The Last Drops: How to Bridge the Gap Between Oil and Green Energy

By Paul Roberts

Videos show a surreal ‘eye of fire’ in the Gulf of Mexico after gas pipeline ruptures at sea

Environment

Videos show a surreal ‘eye of fire’ in the Gulf of Mexico after gas pipeline ruptures at sea Videos show a surreal ‘eye of fire’ in the Gulf of Mexico after gas pipeline ruptures at sea

By Rachel Feltman

4 New Technologies That Will Carry The Weight Of War

Technology

4 New Technologies That Will Carry The Weight Of War 4 New Technologies That Will Carry The Weight Of War

Our go-to weapon against heatwaves? A dirty backup power source.

Environment

Our go-to weapon against heatwaves? A dirty backup power source. Our go-to weapon against heatwaves? A dirty backup power source.

By Angely Mercado

rooftop solar panel on house

Environment

Power companies are lobbying to make rooftop solar more expensive Power companies are lobbying to make rooftop solar more expensive

Estuaries could power us to a low-carbon future

Environment

Estuaries could power us to a low-carbon future Estuaries could power us to a low-carbon future

Here’s how wind turbines stay afloat during storms

Environment

Here’s how wind turbines stay afloat during storms Here’s how wind turbines stay afloat during storms

By Angely Mercado

Ford F-150 Pickup truck

Technology

Scott Pruitt wants to roll back the EPA’s requirements for clean vehicles. It’s going to be a fight. Scott Pruitt wants to roll back the EPA’s requirements for clean vehicles. It’s going to be a fight.

By Jordan Golson

Keystone XL is officially dead

Environment

Keystone XL is officially dead Keystone XL is officially dead

By Sara Kiley Watson

Environment

The Future of the Environment The Future of the Environment

By Popular Science Team

Environment

Why The Paris Climate Agreement Can’t Save The Planet Why The Paris Climate Agreement Can’t Save The Planet

By Jen Schwartz

Environment

A Bright Solar Future Will Be Flawed and Imperfect A Bright Solar Future Will Be Flawed and Imperfect

By Jeremy Deaton

5 Questions You Should Have About Elon Musk’s New Solar Roofs

Environment

5 Questions You Should Have About Elon Musk’s New Solar Roofs 5 Questions You Should Have About Elon Musk’s New Solar Roofs

By Mary Beth Griggs

solar panel factory on the moon

Environment

Solar Panels Grown On The Moon Could Power The Earth Solar Panels Grown On The Moon Could Power The Earth

illustrated four cardio machines

Environment

Sweatin’ For The Planet Sweatin’ For The Planet

The inside of a backpack that's also a DIY WiFi hotspot.

Environment

Be your own hotspot Be your own hotspot

By Mike Outmesguine

In all likelihood, someday the sun will knock out the grid

Environment

In all likelihood, someday the sun will knock out the grid In all likelihood, someday the sun will knock out the grid

By Sarah Scoles

Majumdar poster

Environment

The Power Broker: Funding an Energy Revolution The Power Broker: Funding an Energy Revolution

Affordable driverless cars could curb public transit

Technology

Affordable driverless cars could curb public transit Affordable driverless cars could curb public transit

By Shaena Montanari

We’re doing a great job of creating renewable energy—but we don’t have the infrastructure to actually use it

Environment

We’re doing a great job of creating renewable energy—but we don’t have the infrastructure to actually use it We’re doing a great job of creating renewable energy—but we don’t have the infrastructure to actually use it

street in new orleans louisana with power lines

Environment

Louisiana is making bold climate goals, but still wants its fossil fuels Louisiana is making bold climate goals, but still wants its fossil fuels

By Philip Kiefer

Hammerfest, Norway

Environment

Arctic Report: How This Small Fishing Village Turned Into a Fossil Fuel Boomtown Arctic Report: How This Small Fishing Village Turned Into a Fossil Fuel Boomtown

By Breanna Draxler

Environment

Your Water Heater Can Become A High-Power Home Battery Your Water Heater Can Become A High-Power Home Battery

By Jeremy Deaton

rows of offshore wind turbines

Environment

Offshore wind has huge potential. Here’s how it could change the US. Offshore wind has huge potential. Here’s how it could change the US.

An empty TV frame overlooks a forest growing in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Environment

Ultra-powerful X-rays are helping physicists understand Chernobyl Ultra-powerful X-rays are helping physicists understand Chernobyl

Oil refinery owner by Chevron next to a river

Environment

Chevron just got hit with an official greenwashing complaint. Here’s what that means. Chevron just got hit with an official greenwashing complaint. Here’s what that means.

By Shaena Montanari

This century-old technology could be the key to unlocking America’s renewable energy future

Environment

This century-old technology could be the key to unlocking America’s renewable energy future This century-old technology could be the key to unlocking America’s renewable energy future

By James Dinneen

Construction workers install solar panles.

Environment

How Biden’s jobs plan will be put to work for the environment How Biden’s jobs plan will be put to work for the environment

Raw fish on beach drying rack

Environment

Old fish bones could make the eco-friendly plastic we’ve been waiting for Old fish bones could make the eco-friendly plastic we’ve been waiting for

By Shaena Montanari

A conceptual solar canal.

Environment

Solar panels and water canals could form a real power couple in California Solar panels and water canals could form a real power couple in California

By Shaena Montanari

Scorched Earth: How Centralia Burned

Environment

Scorched Earth: How Centralia Burned Scorched Earth: How Centralia Burned

By Mary Beth Griggs

Airplane wing in flight with clouds

Environment

Plane rides of the future could be fueled by table scraps Plane rides of the future could be fueled by table scraps

By Shaena Montanari

investigator examines Reactor Unit 3 at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant

Environment

10 years after Fukushima, outdated nuclear power plants are still the norm 10 years after Fukushima, outdated nuclear power plants are still the norm

By Kurokawa & Meshkati/The Conversation

A gas pipeline under construction in a clear-cut strip of forest

Environment

Oil and gas companies are making old pipelines the landowner’s problem Oil and gas companies are making old pipelines the landowner’s problem

By Kate Wheeling/Nexus Media

Electric vehicle plugged into a charging station

Environment

Companies may soon pay a higher price for emitting carbon. But will it be high enough? Companies may soon pay a higher price for emitting carbon. But will it be high enough?

By Ramin Skibba/Undark

Natural gas stove lit up

Environment

Gas stoves are bad for the environment—but what if the power goes out? Gas stoves are bad for the environment—but what if the power goes out?

By Sara Kiley Watson

a boat captain tries to pull a plastic barrel from a debris island

Environment

A trip down the Ohio River reveals the oil and gas industry’s next big move A trip down the Ohio River reveals the oil and gas industry’s next big move

By Teake Zuidema/Nexus Media News

snow on tree branches in texas

Environment

The real story behind the Texas power outages The real story behind the Texas power outages

snow on wind turbines

Environment

Explaining this week’s deadly US cold snap Explaining this week’s deadly US cold snap

By Philip Kiefer

Electricity lines over a deep, gloomy forest with gas rising.

Environment

4 sustainability experts on how they’d spend Elon Musk’s $100 million climate commitment 4 sustainability experts on how they’d spend Elon Musk’s $100 million climate commitment

By Sara Kiley Watson

White birds on a pink, purple, and green illustration of the Fukushima nuclear plant

Environment

5 famous environmental disasters where humans and nature healed together 5 famous environmental disasters where humans and nature healed together

By Meera Subramanian

pipeline running aboveground

Environment

Keystone XL was supposed to be a green pipeline. What does that even mean? Keystone XL was supposed to be a green pipeline. What does that even mean?

By Juliet Grable

Nation's largest public housing project next to a power plant

Environment

At New York City’s biggest power plant, a switch to clean energy will help a neighborhood breathe easier At New York City’s biggest power plant, a switch to clean energy will help a neighborhood breathe easier

Four Portuguese kids who are European climate activists

Environment

A lawsuit filed by children has forced 33 countries to rethink their climate goals A lawsuit filed by children has forced 33 countries to rethink their climate goals

By Jag Bhalla/Undark

graphs showing stock prices

Environment

Your retirement account can also help protect the planet Your retirement account can also help protect the planet

Alaska’s northern coast

Environment

Drilling the Arctic refuge doesn’t make sense—but Trump wants it to happen anyway Drilling the Arctic refuge doesn’t make sense—but Trump wants it to happen anyway

By Jeremy Deaton/Nexus Media News

Marryam Moma collage

Science

In Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley,’ a Black community battles an industry that threatens its health—and history In Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley,’ a Black community battles an industry that threatens its health—and history

By Megan I. Gannon

agricultural field with wind farm in background at sunset

Environment

What President-elect Biden could do for the environment in his first 100 days What President-elect Biden could do for the environment in his first 100 days

satellite imaging spectrometer

Environment

New satellites can pinpoint methane leaks to help us beat climate change New satellites can pinpoint methane leaks to help us beat climate change

Health

The pandemic could end Texas’s oil boom—and start something better The pandemic could end Texas’s oil boom—and start something better

By Justin Miller/Texas Observer

Merrimack Valley destroyed house

Environment

Gas explosions keep killing people, and the US government won’t step in Gas explosions keep killing people, and the US government won’t step in

By Jeremy Deaton/Nexus Media News

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

Environment

This giant Gulf of Mexico reef is a conservation success story—here’s why it’s thriving This giant Gulf of Mexico reef is a conservation success story—here’s why it’s thriving

By Amal Ahmed/Texas Observer

power line silhouette against reddish sunset

Environment

Severe storms are increasingly leaving us without power. Microgrids can help. Severe storms are increasingly leaving us without power. Microgrids can help.

The Brooks Range sets the backdrop for vital caribou feeding grounds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

Environment

The Trump administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil companies—but none may bite The Trump administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil companies—but none may bite

By Scott L. Montgomery/The Conversation

A solar installer

Environment

California shut off power grids this week, but not because of clean energy California shut off power grids this week, but not because of clean energy

By Jeremy Deaton/Nexus Media

Environmental Protection Agency

Environment

Fossil fuel companies don’t have to clean up their methane emissions anymore Fossil fuel companies don’t have to clean up their methane emissions anymore

By Jeremy Deaton/Nexus Media News

power lines at dusk

Environment

The US has more power outages than any other developed country. Here’s why. The US has more power outages than any other developed country. Here’s why.

rocky outcropping in very blue tropical waters

Environment

Citizens of Mauritius are cleaning up a major oil spill themselves Citizens of Mauritius are cleaning up a major oil spill themselves

protestors of pipelines

Environment

Activists have shut down two major fossil fuel pipelines—at least for now Activists have shut down two major fossil fuel pipelines—at least for now

Environment

The US could shift to 90-percent renewable energy by 2035 at no extra cost The US could shift to 90-percent renewable energy by 2035 at no extra cost

By Jeremy Deaton/Nexus Media