New discovery allows low-grade silicon to be turned into high-efficiency solar panels
Some technical breakthroughs are great because they push back the limits of what we can do, bringing us to new summits, while other are great because they allow us to do more with what we already have.
Latest Stories in Energy
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Epic debate: Amory Lovins vs. Charles C. Mann on the future of oil
Over the past few weeks, The Atlantic has been host to a public debate between Charles C. Mann and Amory B. Lovins about the future of oil and renewable energy and whether we'll see a decline in petroleum use any time soon.
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Even Former Coal Miners Want to End Mountaintop Removal Mining
It's time to end this destructive practice, and Appalachian residents descended upon Washington, D.C., this week to demand action.
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Quid Pro Quo on Keystone approval? Not likely.
As we wait for President Obama and the State Department to make a decision on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, talk seems to have shifted away from why the pipeline should be rejected to what should be done in the event the project is approved.
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Al Gore calls Alberta Tar Sands "an open sewer."
In a speech in Toronto, he also says “There’s no such thing as ethical oil,” he said. “There’s only dirty oil and dirtier oil.”
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Vice President Biden opposes Keystone XL. What can this tell us about Obama's plans?
"Vice President Joe Biden told a South Carolina environmental activist Friday that he opposes a controversial oil pipeline from Canada, but said he is "in the minority" inside the Obama administration."
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Why does Obama love natural gas? It's complicated.
Josh Fox says President Obama's support for natural gas shocked him, but Brad Plumer shows how the issue of gas exports and production has much to do with maintaining trade relationships.
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Is Obama the "environmental President?" Yes or no, he can still win climate fight
Obama's climate record has been "a runaway success", writes Jonathan Chait. David Roberts doesn't disagree, but puts the claim in context.
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Jargon watch: "Unburnable carbon" is important buzz word in energy debate
Leaving some fossil fuels in the ground is the oft-overlooked option in debates over energy policy. "Unburned carbon" is new buzz word and important choice in energy debate.
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Coal or natural gas? It's a false choice, explains Gasland's Josh Fox
Josh Fox had a good answer to the question of whether natural gas is a necessary evil.
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Investments in clean energy could reach $630 billion by 2030 (but probably more)
“Three years ago, we thought wind and solar would be cheap as chips, and they’ve even gone below that.”
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Questions still unanswered following Exxon oil spill
It has been more than a month since the Exxon Mobil tar sands oil spill in Mayflower, Arkansas and residents and investigators are still waiting for answers to basic questions about the disaster.
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Extremely important graph: Cost of solar headed for parity with coal and gas (and will later beat them)
We're headed for historic milestones in solar power production. These will change the face of human civilization.
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Gasland's Josh Fox on investigating the gas industry
Josh Fox is on Andrew Sullivan's Ask Me Anything series this week. In his first video he talks about how he became interested in the natural gas industry and how his first film came about.
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Study finds 30 toxic chemicals at Exxon oil spill site in Arkansas
An independent study co-published by the Faulkner County Citizens Advisory Group and Global Community Monitor found a chemical soup in the aftermath of the Exxon Mobil Pegasus pipeline oil spill.
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Clever MIT floating wind turbines can store power for when the wind doesn't blow
Wind and solar are growing rapidly worldwide, but because the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow, we need to find more ways to store energy.
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No Keystone pipeline? No problem, Alberta will just go north to the Arctic Ocean
Alternatives to the Keystone line are popping up all over Canada.
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Update on Mayflower Oil Spill: Chemist finds benzene, AG investigates, residents organize
It has now been five weeks since the Exxon Mobil Pegasus pipeline ruptured in Mayflower, Arkansas. Here's an update on the latest reports.
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If Keystone XL is rejected, will rail shipments fill the gap?
While rail may be considered safer than a pipeline, I don't find that argument compelling when considered in the context of the math of climate change. The debate over rail versus pipelines is the wrong argument to be having.
