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Inside the US power struggle over coal

But the Trump administration wants to keep coal power alive, and the US Department of Energy recently ordered some plants to stay open past their scheduled closures. Here’s why there’s a power struggle over coal. Coal used to be king in the US, but the country has dramatically reduced its dependence on the fuel over the past two decades. It accounted for about 20% of the electricity generated in 2024, down from roughly half in 2000. While the demise of coal has been great for US emissions, the

Scientists achieve 1,000-fold increase in solar electricity using ultra-thin layers

Forward-looking: A team of German researchers from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg has unveiled a significant advancement in solar energy technology, revealing a method to dramatically increase the amount of electricity certain materials can generate when exposed to light. Their approach involves stacking ultra-thin layers of different crystals in a precise sequence, resulting in a solar absorber that far outperforms traditional materials. At the core of this discovery, published in S

Finland warms up the world's largest sand battery, the economics look appealing

It doesn’t look like much, but Finland recently flipped the switch on the world’s largest sand-based battery. Yes, sand. A sand battery is a type of thermal energy storage system that uses sand or crushed rock to store heat. Electricity — typically from renewable sources — is used to heat the sand. That stored heat can later be used for various ends, including to warm buildings. The economics are compelling, and it’s hard to get any cheaper than the crushed soapstone now housed inside an insu

Finland warms up the world’s largest sand battery, and the economics look appealing

It doesn’t look like much, but Finland recently flipped the switch on the world’s largest sand-based battery. Yes, sand. A sand battery is a type of thermal energy storage system that uses sand or crushed rock to store heat. Electricity — typically from renewable sources — is used to heat the sand. That stored heat can later be used for various ends, including to warm buildings. The economics are compelling, and it’s hard to get any cheaper than the crushed soapstone now housed inside an insu

7 Best Electric Toothbrushes, Tested For Two Weeks Each (2025)

Honorable Mentions There are far more electric toothbrushes than we can recommend in a single guide. If none of the above options appeal to you, one of these might do the trick. Photograph: Oclean Oclean X Ultra S Electric Toothbrush for $130: Oclean makes great electric toothbrushes that clean well without vibrating your brain around. They're a bit pricey, but if you or your kid would benefit from a voice assistant telling you that you're brushing too fast or applying too much pressure, this

Ford’s new modified Mustang Mach-E is ready to fly up Pikes Peak

is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a racing event that’s been going on since 1916. It’s a 12.42-mile run that climbs 4,720 feet and serves as a proving ground for carmakers to test the speed and agility of their new vehicles. Electric cars tend to do well in the Pikes Peak race; they don’t have to deal with the pro

How the first electric grid was built

The Linear No Threshold model says that there is no safe level of radiation exposure. There is overwhelming evidence it is false, yet it inspires the ALARA principle, which makes nuclear power unaffordable worldwide. Read the lead article from Issue 19 of Works in Progress. We’re hosting a Stripe Press pop-up coffee shop and bookstore on Saturday, June 28, in Washington, DC. RSVP here if you can make it. In 1883, Sir Coutts Lindsay, owner of the Grosvenor Art Gallery in Bond Street, decided th

Anker SOLIX EverFrost 2 40L electric cooler drops to its all-time low price

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority I have actually been using the Anker SOLIX EverFrost 2 40L electric cooler for some time, and I love it. I know it’s a bit pricey, but discounts come from time to time. Right now, you can get it for its record-low price, saving you $200. Buy the Anker SOLIX EverFrost 2 40L electric cooler for just $699.99 ($200 off) This offer is available from Amazon. It is a “limited time deal,” which means the deal should end relatively soon. This also makes it an automat

Trump Wants to Kill California’s Emissions Standards. Here’s What That Means for EVs

This week the White House and President Donald Trump attempted to kill, once and for all, California's plan to accelerate the sale of zero-emission cars and trucks in the state. In a ceremony in Washington, DC, on Thursday attended by trucking executives, Trump signed three resolutions passed by Congress aimed at revoking California’s nearly 60-year-old power to set its own motor vehicle emissions rules. In doing so, the federal government is taking aim at one of the most ambitious vehicle elec

Beta Technologies’ bet on electric flight and Hyundai’s new Tesla charging port comes up short

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! Fifteen years ago, I started writing about a little EV startup that was trying to survive even as others failed in the clean tech boom-and-bust cycle. Back then Tesla had captured the interest of some celebrities and EV enthusiasts — but it was a small circle. A lot has changed since then, including the profile of its largest shar

What’s driving electricity demand? It isn’t just AI and data centers.

Take the US, for example. The IEA report points to other research showing that the 10 states hosting the most data center growth saw a 10% increase in electricity demand between 2019 and 2023. Demand in the other 40 states declined by about 3% over the same period. One caveat here is that nobody knows for sure what’s going to happen with data centers in the future, particularly those needed to run AI. Projections are all over the place, and small changes could drastically alter the amount of en

Want an electric bike? The HiBoy EX6 is $805 off!

This is not the type of stuff we usually cover, but I couldn’t ignore this offer when it came across my desk. Electric bikes offer commuters a new form of easy, clean, and fun transportation, but they tend to be a bit pricier than I would hope. How about getting an $805 discount on the HiBoy EX6 Electric Bike? This brings the price down to a much more reasonable $774.99. Get the HiBoy EX6 Electric Bike for just $774.99 ($805 off) This offer is available from Best Buy. The discount is applied au