Emily Waltz

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-...

Researchers Beam Wireless Power From a Moving Airplane Can we beam space-based solar power back to Earth? Startup Overview Energy demonstrates wireless power beaming from a moving aircraft.

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 bubble in Sardinia stores energy for the grid. Here's how. Google is betting big on CO2 batteries to power its data centers with clean energy.

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.

Can $80 Billion Transform U.S. Nuclear Energy Landscape? How will the $80 billion nuclear deal reshape U.S. energy and AI ambitions?

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.

Can Virtual Power Plants Fool Grid Operators? Can virtual power plants truly match the reliability of traditional power sources? The Huels test aims to find out.

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...

Can the U.K.'s Grid Handle More Wind Power? Can SmartValves and dynamic line rating solve the UK's power grid challenges?

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...

The Alarming Rise of Fake Lithium-Ion Batteries How safe are the batteries in your e-bike or vape pen? Discover the risks of counterfeit lithium-ion cells and what you can do to stay safe.

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...

Nuclear Batteries Can Power Devices for Decades. Is That a Good Thing? Nuclear batteries that last decades are being developed to power drones, sensors, remote devices and medical implants. Energy storage at its extreme.

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...

Can Cuba's Energy Woes Be Solved? Cuba's energy crisis is more than blackouts; it's a daily struggle for survival. How did it get this bad?

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-...

Could Perovskite Solar Cells Start Competing with Traditional Silicon Solar Amidst New Tariffs? New solar tariffs and innovative manufacturing could make perovskites cost-competitive

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...

Why Did This Ford Engine Maestro Leave the Iconic Company and Then Return? Here's His Emotional Journey Through the EV Transition. After 30 years at Ford, Lem Yeung faced redundancy as the company shifted to EVs. Yet, Ford rehired him as a consultant to tackle rising powertrain warranty claims, highlighting the ongoing need for 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...

How Did Mati Carbon Win the $50M XPrize for Carbon Removal? The XPrize Foundation awarded $50M to Mati Carbon for its innovative carbon removal technique using enhanced rock weathering.

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...

Experts Weigh in on $500B Stargate Project for AI The Trump-announced initiative to build data centers will have big impacts

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

As EV Sales Stall, Plug-In Hybrids Get a Reboot This year’s Ram 1500 Ramcharger reveals the new focus on extended range

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

IEEE Spectrum's Top Climate Tech Stories of 2024 Carbon capture, solar panel recycling, and clean energy generation

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

The Top 10 Energy Stories of 2024 Power beaming, nuclear fusion, and powerful geothermal drilling topped readers' favorites

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

Why China Is Building a Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor China’s demo reactor could breed nuclear fuel from rare earth waste

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...

Startups Begin Geoengineering the Sea These companies are trying to make the oceans a better carbon sink

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...