Researchers at ETH Zurich led by Robert Boes are developing specific solutions to optimize electricity production from Swiss hydropower plants. This will ensure that hydropower remains the backbone of Switzerland’s electricity supply in the future. “Although Swiss hydropower is a proven technology, we must constantly work on optimizing it. If we don’t, electricity production and storage at […]
Green Energy
Texas goes big on solar + storage that can power 41,000+ homes
A 208-megawatt (MW) solar farm with 80 megawatt hours (MWh) of storage has come online west of San Antonio, Texas. Solar + storage developers Cypress Creek Renewables brought Zier Solar + Storage online in Brackettville, Texas, on May 2, 2024. Zier can produce enough energy annually to power 41,600 homes. Cypress Creek says that ERCOT, […]
Electric vehicles will start to cut emissions and improve air quality in our cities—but only once they’re common
Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions—and air pollution—from transport. Is this view correct? Yes—but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the recent boom in EV purchases, they’re still a tiny minority of the cars on the road. We would get more immediate benefit by focusing on electrifying buses, which are a […]
Electricity from farm waste: How biogas could help Malawians with no power
In sub-Saharan Africa, over 600 million people (more than 50% of the population) are without access to electricity. Malawi has one of the world’s lowest electricity access rates—just 14.1% of the total population have access to the main grid. In rural areas, the electrification access rate is even lower, estimated at 5.6% in 2021. Decentralized […]
Tidal energy is coming to Alaska. But how much?
Much of Alaska is empty—of humans, at least. Vast tundra and forest separate cities and villages, dividing the state into more than 150 isolated power grids. The largest of these grids, known as the Railbelt, carries 70% of the state’s electrical energy to about three-quarters of its population. Today, that grid runs mostly on natural […]
EDP reinforces investment in Australia through 1.3 GW wind offshore capacity awarded to Ocean Winds
The Australian Government awarded Ocean Winds, EDP Renewables and Engie’s joint venture dedicated to offshore wind energy, a license to potentially develop up to 1.3 GW off the coast of Gippsland. This investment in the southeastern coast of Australia reinforces EDP’s commitment to the country. Ocean Winds, an international company dedicated to offshore wind energy […]
Microsoft signs deal to invest more than $10 billion on renewable energy capacity to power data centers
Microsoft has signed a deal with Brookfield Asset Management to invest more than $10 billion to develop renewable energy capacity to power the growing demand for artificial intelligence and data centers, the companies announced on Wednesday. Brookfield will deliver 10.5 gigawatts of renewable energy for Microsoft between 2026 and 2030 in the U.S. and Europe […]
Just 1,200 square kilometers of land could fulfill Australia’s solar and wind energy needs
As Australia’s rapid renewable energy rollout continues, so too does debate over land use. Nationals Leader David Littleproud, for example, claimed regional areas had reached “saturation point” and cannot cope with more wind and solar farms and transmission lines. So how much land is needed to fully decarbonize energy in Australia? When we switch completely […]
Electric vehicle drivers can estimate their personalized fuel savings with new Argonne tool
A new tool launched by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory enables drivers to estimate, at the ZIP code level, how much they save on fuel costs by driving a plug-in electric vehicle (either a plug-in hybrid [PHEV] or a battery electric vehicle [BEV]). The tool, Driving Electric: Local Fuel Savings Calculator, […]
Renewable energy companies need more workers for a green transition
New Mexico is aiming to undergo a major clean energy transition over the next couple of decades, but one thing is missing: Enough workers to make that transition actually happen. The Renewable Energy Industries Association of New Mexico hosted its inaugural Electrify New Mexico event earlier this month, gathering business and industry leaders to talk […]
