Light-powered reactions could make the chemical manufacturing industry more energy-efficient

Chemical manufacturing is an energy-intensive industry. A team of chemists is designing a technique that could power the necessary reactions with sunlight or LEDs.

Anna Wolff, Ph.D. Student in Chemistry, Colorado State University • conversation
June 19, 2025 ~7 min

How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate

Some technologies could rapidly cut emissions, while others do little to fight climate change. The House bill favors the latter while nixing support for the former.

Daniel Cohan, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University • conversation
June 10, 2025 ~10 min


New solar cells break efficiency record – they could eventually supercharge how we get energy from the Sun

Solar is becoming a major player in electricity generation and scientists are trying to boost its efficiency still further.

Sebastian Bonilla, Associate Professor of Materials, University of Oxford • conversation
Sept. 25, 2024 ~8 min

AI may develop a huge carbon footprint, but it could also be a critical ally in the fight against climate change

AI needs careful monitoring and the right policies to ensure it can benefit the fight against climate change.

Alina Vaduva, Director of the Business Advice Centre for Post Graduate Students at UEL, Ambassador of the Centre for Innovation, Management and Enterprise, University of East London • conversation
April 4, 2024 ~6 min

California is wrestling with electricity prices – here’s how to design a system that covers the cost of fixing the grid while keeping prices fair

California is considering a controversial proposal for utilities to charge customers for electricity based partly on household income. Two scholars explain how this approach could benefit everyone.

Andrew L. Liu, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University • conversation
March 21, 2024 ~10 min

Solar power occupies a lot of space – here’s how to make it more ecologically beneficial to the land it sits on

Solar development isn’t always good for the land, but pairing it with agriculture can produce multiple benefits.

Matthew Sturchio, PhD Student in Plant and Ecosystem Ecology, Colorado State University • conversation
March 12, 2024 ~8 min

Gigantic solar farms of the future might impact how much solar power can be generated on the other side of the world

Solar farms that span whole countries could change the climate – new study.

Jingchao Long, Associate Professor, Department of Atmospheric Science • conversation
Jan. 8, 2024 ~7 min

How gigantic solar farms of the future might impact how much solar power can be generated on the other side of the world

Solar farms that span whole countries could change the climate – new study.

Jingchao Long, Associate Professor, Department of Atmospheric Science • conversation
Jan. 8, 2024 ~7 min


If the first solar entrepreneur hadn't been kidnapped, would fossil fuels have dominated the 20th century the way they did?

The 1909 incident may have cost the industry decades of progress – and the planet huge amounts of damaging carbon emissions.

Sugandha Srivastav, British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental Economics, University of Oxford • conversation
Oct. 12, 2023 ~8 min

Bats are avoiding solar farms and scientists aren’t sure why

New research has found that bats avoid solar farms – but the findings should not hinder the transition to renewable energy.

Gareth Jones, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol • conversation
Aug. 9, 2023 ~7 min

/

4