President Biden’s cabinet nominees continued through the confirmation process this week with the U.S. Senate approving his nominee for Secretary of the Department of Energy, former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, on Thursday. His nominee for secretary of the Department of Interior, Debra Haaland, is still awaiting a final committee vote.
Texas state lawmakers further examined the causes for deadly power blackouts that left millions shivering in the dark as frigid temperatures caught its grid operator and utilities ill-prepared for skyrocketing power demand. While many attempt to get to the bottom of Texas’s grid failure, CEA President David Holt provided insight into how we can move forward to prevent collapses like this in the future.
As refiners restarted production following last week’s freeze, U.S. crude edged up to its highest close since 2019.
Looking for more good news? Here are our five favorite stories to help you start your weekend!
Solar energy could be the future of water desalination
While most of us have access to freshwater, in many countries around the world, freshwater is scarce and at risk of not being available at all. That is why finding efficient and sustainable methods to desalinate water resources is imperative. AltEnergyMag reports that researchers are making advancements in using direct and indirect solar energy in desalination processes.
The South Pacific could be the next frontier for wind power development
According to Wood Mackenzie, floating offshore wind is gaining attention in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and its potential is almost limitless. Offshore Engineer reports that developers in all three countries have announced plans to develop floating wind demonstration projects.
New car lithium-ion battery promises five minute charge-up time
Developers recently announced a new lithium-ion car battery that can be fully recharged from empty in just five minutes. Science Focus explains how this could be a game changer for electric cars, as consumers hesitate to purchase electric vehicles due to charge-up time.
Extreme E electric racing cars to be recharged by hydrogen fuel cells
AFC Energy has created a custom, transportable hydrogen fuel cell system for Extreme E to charge all of its Odyssey 21 racers. Jalopnik reports that the system will be installed aboard the RMS St. Helena, a former Royal Mail ship carrying the racecars, and charge the Odyssey SUVs in preparation for each race on the championship’s schedule.
Generating electricity in space could be in our future
Scientists working for the Pentagon have successfully tested a solar panel in space that was designed as part of a future system to send electricity from space to earth. CNN explains how the panel is designed to retain blue light waves, which diffuse upon entry into our atmosphere, making the sunlight harvested in space more powerful than sunlight that reaches Earth.
