Tag: energy

This is where the atomic age began. Deep in the hills of Tennessee, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory built the technology that enriched uranium for the first nuclear bombs, and now they’re trying to spark a nuclear comeback. In this episode, we go inside Standard Nuclear, a startup using Oak Ridge research to mass-produce TRISO fuel, a next-generation material that makes reactors smaller, safer, and meltdown-proof.

We see how engineers turn uranium into perfectly coated micro-particles that glow red-hot in furnaces and could one day power portable reactors, AI data centers, and even battlefield bases. It’s a glimpse into America’s attempt to reclaim the nuclear technology it invented from China and a reminder that the future of clean energy might rise from the same place that built the bomb.

What happened to the promise of nuclear energy? This once seemingly futuristic and clean power source has fallen by the wayside, with countries even turning off their nuclear reactors during an energy crisis. Let’s dig into why people are so afraid of nuclear energy, and if their fears are realistic.

It’s been a full year since I installed these solar panels and a large home battery on my new house … and I’ve got some news. They say solar power can save you thousands on energy bills, but what actually happened. This past year was a bit of a rollercoaster ride from the challenges of getting them installed to seeing how well they handled powering my all-electric house through heat waves, freezing temperatures, and a couple of small power outages. Spoiler alert: solar isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Was my net zero house ready for all of it? Was I able to achieve net zero energy? And most important … was it worth it? Let’s just say, I learned some pretty surprising lessons that may be of use to you.

“Drill baby drill”, said Donald Trump many times on the campaign trail, along with all sorts of other threats to upend Biden’s climate policies and hand power firmly back to the fossil fuel industry. Only trouble is, it won’t be quite as easy in practice as it is in rhetoric.

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most famous tourist destinations and nature reserves in the world. And it’s also the perfect place for…. geothermal power plants? Let’s talk about the weird reason why NASA is all for building a power plant in our favorite national park.