electricity Tag

Heat Makes The World Go ‘Round

28 Aug 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

When people think about energy, they don’t often think of industrial heat. But that heat is critical for sustaining modern life. Without a lot of heat, this very article could not exist. Heat is responsible for all of the infrastructure and almost all electricity in the United States and the…

The Role of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling in Sustainability

26 Jul 2023, Posted by Andrew Jefferis in All Posts, Blog Posts

Just over a month ago, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $2 million investment in Lithium-ion battery recycling. You can find these batteries in almost anything that is rechargeable – power tools, phones, laptops, electric vehicles, and more. But what makes recycling them such a big deal and, according…

Federal Government Push Away from Diesel Buses

07 Jul 2023, Posted by Andrew Jefferis in All Posts, Blog Posts

The Department of Transportation under the Biden administration recently announced $1.7 billion in federal grants will be awarded to regional transit agencies so that they can improve their local public transportation services. The grants are coming from programs established by Biden’s 2021 Infrastructure Law that are meant for assisting local…

America’s Attitude Towards Nuclear Energy

26 Jun 2023, Posted by Andrew Jefferis in All Posts, Blog Posts

Nuclear energy tends to get a bad rap in modern politics. Past accidents such as Chernobyl and Fukushima have scarred the minds of those who were alive to witness the catastrophes and have made it difficult for even newer generations to trust nuclear capabilities. Much of the fear surrounding nuclear…

Water Batteries and the Renewable Energy Revolution

22 Jun 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

In 2013, wind and solar power combined to produce less than 5 percent of all U.S. utility-scale electricity. In 2022, that number was 13.6 percent. Renewable energy sources are expected to make up at least 33 percent of all U.S. power generation by 2030 without major changes to energy policy….

Carbon Capture to Reduce Emissions from Fossil Fuels

20 Jun 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

As climate and energy policy continues to evolve, the EPA recently released a new proposed rule  for environmental standards regarding emissions from coal and natural gas-fired power plants. An integral part of the proposal is reducing CO2 emissions through a process called carbon capture. First used as early as 1972,…

Differences in Decarbonization

02 May 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

When it comes to decarbonizing the U.S. economy, one could be forgiven for thinking the answer is as simple as ramping up wind and solar. While that is an option – albeit one that on its own would take decades – a more realistic approach is to identify what the…

Is an EV mandate the right solution for California?

08 Nov 2022, Posted by Andrew Jefferis in All Posts, Blog Posts

It is a blanket assumption that electric vehicles (EVs) are greener than gas vehicles, and many people are not aware of the energy source behind the super chargers, but what is the underlying truth? How clean is the electricity that enhances how we live? On the whole, electricity is produced…

Energy Month: Renewable Energy

09 Aug 2022, Posted by John Cassibry in All Posts, Blog Posts

Renewable energy sources have received significant amounts of investment in recent years as combating climate change becomes a higher priority. Sunlight, the movement of water, and the natural movement of wind all have been harnessed to generate energy. Most of these systems work by harnessing the heat or kinetic energy…

Hydrogen Offers Another Energy Alternative

31 Aug 2021, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Most Americans know hydrogen as being a key ingredient in water, H2O. Of the many chemical elements on the periodic table, hydrogen is the lightest element, while it’s also estimated to comprise up to 90 percent of the visible universe. With its simplicity and unfathomable abundance, might hydrogen be an overlooked…

Petroleum Is Not Just An Energy Source

26 Aug 2021, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Since oil was first discovered near Titusville, Pennsylvania over 100 years ago, petroleum has become arguably the most essential natural resource for the United State’s economy past and present. From its development as an energy source, fuel for vehicles, and as a key component in everything from plastics and tires to…

Solar Innovation Pushing the Limits on Efficiency

24 Aug 2021, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

The solar energy striking the Earth at a given moment is more than the entire world’s energy usage in a year. Solar power’s massive energy potential has opened the door to to utility-scale electricity generation all the way down to rooftop power for individual homes. Yet solar panel efficiency and…

A Coming Tidal Change in Energy

18 Aug 2021, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Coastal tides are a naturally occurring process caused by the moon’s gravitational pull on the oceans of the world. In the U.S., tidal changes vary wildly from coast to coast, with the highest tidal range in Anchorage, Alaska spanning up to forty feet. While the natural movement of water flowing…

Offshore Wind Innovation May Soon Power the Coasts

16 Aug 2021, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Wind generation on land is affected by several factors, such as the topography of the surrounding area, temperature, competing land uses, and human activity. Due to the unevenness and diversity of topographical areas in the U.S., certain areas are not able to harness large amounts of wind energy. Mountainous areas, as…

Going Nuclear Without Melting Down

05 Aug 2021, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Going Nuclear Irradiated landscapes, poisoned water supplies, the ubiquitous gas masks donned by radiation cleaners in the Chernobyl HBO series: these are the images that come to mind for many when hearing about nuclear power. Needless to say, this dramatized picture of Soviet infrastructure is a far cry from the true…