As the Colorado River shrinks and states argue over water rights and flows, machine learning tools are being deployed to figure out who gets what. Here's what's clear: There's a cost to every decision. @spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/colorado-riv...

The U.S. will return the nearly $1 billion that TotalEnergies paid for an offshore wind lease on the condition that the company redirect the money to U.S. oil and gas projects. The reason?Costs and national security. Is security a real risk? We investigated. spectrum.ieee.org/offshore-win...

Rising physical attacks on grid equipment have pushed utilities to up their game to protect the power supply. One of the main new threats: drones. Here's how utilities are preparing. By @juliatilton.com for @spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/power-grid-a...

When #BadBunny climbed utility poles at last night's #SuperBowl halftime show, his point came across loud and clear: Puerto Rico's power grid is crumbling, and the U.S. isn't doing enough about it. Here's what's happening in Puerto Rico. Photo: Kathryn Riley/AP. spectrum.ieee.org/puerto-rico-...

Can we collect solar energy in space and beam the power back to Earth? A new startup coming out of stealth mode demonstrates how it would go about it by wirelessly beaming near-infrared waves from a moving aircraft. #energysky spectrum.ieee.org/wireless-pow...

This giant dome in Sardinia is filled with CO2 and serves an eco-friendly purpose: to store large amounts of excess renewable energy. In 2026, more of these "CO2 Batteries" will start popping up on multiple continents. Spectrum energy editor @emwaltz.bsky.social visited and explains how it works.

The US is planning its largest nuclear power expansion since the 1970s with an $80 billion investment in AP1000 reactors. Will the program be dogged by the same cost overruns and delays of past AP1000 construction? @edcrooks.bsky.social with @woodmac.com explains.

Are virtual power plants just as good as conventional ones at balancing electricity supply and demand? A new Turing-like test helps grid operators judge. @spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/virtual-powe...

England's grid can't handle all the power flowing south from Scotland's wind farms, but this nifty tech will help. It's called a SmartValve, and moves more power without having to build new transmission lines. @spectrum.ieee.org @peter.fairley.ca spectrum.ieee.org/grid-congest...

Fire-prone counterfeit li-ion batteries are infiltrating the market. Here's how to spot one. By @andrewmoseman.bsky.social with special thanks to experts at @ulresearchinst.bsky.social and University of Maryland. spectrum.ieee.org/counterfeit-...

Tonight at 5pm EST! Nuclear battery expert Jake Blanchard will make himself available for an Ask-Me-Anything session on Reddit. Bring your questions! Like: Can we power our phones with nuclear batteries so that we never have to charge them? @spectrum.ieee.org www.reddit.com/r/nuclear/co...

A raft of companies are developing nuclear batteries that can power devices for decades. Is that a good thing? Will anyone want to buy them? And will anyone be paying attention to where this radioactive waste ends up in 50 or 100 years? @spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/nuclear-batt...

Cuba's power grid is nearing total failure; how did it get this bad? Cuban economist Ricardo Torres explains in @spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/cuba-energy-...

The new, hefty tariffs on solar will change industry; one potential winner: next-generation perovskite solar cells, to which the tariffs don't apply. Ossila scientist Mary O'Kane explains: spectrum.ieee.org/perovskite-s...

Ford is welcoming back a rock-star engine designer after pushing him out four years ago in favor of EV experts. Why does the company need him back? Lem Yueng tells his story: spectrum.ieee.org/ford-powertr...

The XPrize in carbon removal went to a surprising choice: enhanced rock weathering startup Mati Carbon, which received $50 million. Noticeably absent from the top winners: direct air capture and ocean carbon removal strategies. spectrum.ieee.org/xprize-carbo...

What does Trump's $500 billion Stargate AI initiative mean for the U.S. grid? We asked experts to weigh in. #EnergySky With @costasamaras.com spectrum.ieee.org/stargate

Plug-in hybrids, like this year's Ram 1500 Ramcharger with extended range, are getting a reboot spectrum.ieee.org/plug-in-hybrid

Top 10 climate tech stories of 2024 in IEEE Spectrum: spectrum.ieee.org/top-climate-...

Top 10 energy stories of 2024 in IEEE Spectrum: spectrum.ieee.org/top-ten-ener...

China is building a nuclear reactor that will run on fuel bred from thorium, which could be sourced from rare earth waste. Here's what we found out about this new molten-salt reactor in the Gobi Desert. #EnergySky spectrum.ieee.org/chinas-thori...

These startups are geoengineering the sea to capture and store more CO2 from the air. I visited a few Pacific Ocean operations for this deep dive into marine carbon tech. spectrum.ieee.org/ocean-carbon...