All articles tagged with #department of energy
The White House moves to unwind the EPA’s endangerment finding, rolling back greenhouse-gas regulations and avoiding reliance on a DOE-backed contrarian report; the five researchers behind that report faced heavy criticism and lawsuits, and EPA’s final action signals a regulatory argument rather than a challenge to mainstream climate science.
NASA and the DOE signed an agreement to pursue a lunar nuclear power system that could fuel Artemis-era bases on the Moon by 2030; nuclear fission would provide continuous electricity for years without refueling, supporting deep-space outposts and aligning with a Trump-era push to establish lunar infrastructure, building on decades of space-nuclear research.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced collaborations with 24 organizations to advance the Genesis Mission, leveraging AI to accelerate scientific discovery, enhance national security, and promote energy innovation, in line with President Trump's initiatives to boost American AI leadership.
CoreWeave has joined the Department of Energy's Genesis Mission to support advanced scientific workloads with its AI cloud platform, aiming to accelerate discovery science, enhance national security, and promote U.S. energy innovation through high-performance, reliable AI infrastructure.
AMD has partnered with the US Department of Energy to develop two new supercomputers, Lux and Discovery, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with a $1 billion investment aimed at advancing AI and scientific research.
The US Department of Energy criticized wind and solar energy for being 'worthless' without sunlight or wind, prompting Elon Musk to highlight the importance of batteries for energy storage. The debate underscores ongoing tensions over renewable energy policies, with Musk supporting batteries and renewables, while the Trump administration has taken steps to limit renewable projects and promote fossil fuels.
A radioactive wasp nest was discovered at the Savannah River nuclear waste site in South Carolina, containing radiation levels over ten times the legal limit. The nest was safely disposed of, and no contamination was found in the surrounding area, though the origin of the radioactive waste remains unclear. The site, historically involved in nuclear weapons production, is now focused on environmental cleanup and research.
Kohler Co.'s $51.2 million federal award for a factory in Casa Grande, Arizona, was terminated by the Department of Energy along with 23 other awards totaling $3.7 billion, due to concerns over economic viability and return on investment.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced a new supercomputer named 'Doudna' for 2026, powered by Nvidia's Vera Rubin chips and Dell's liquid-cooled servers, to be used by 11,000 researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, advancing scientific discovery across multiple fields and supporting national security efforts.
Rivian has secured a $6.6 billion conditional loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to resume construction of its planned factory in Georgia, which is now expected to begin operations in 2028. The factory, initially announced in 2021, was delayed due to financial constraints, leading Rivian to shift production plans for its R2 SUV to its existing Illinois plant. The Georgia facility is projected to employ 7,500 people by 2030, supported by a $1.5 billion incentives package from the state.
Sen. Josh Hawley called for Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm's resignation during a Senate hearing, accusing her of violating the STOCK Act and misleading the committee about her stock ownership. Granholm admitted to failing to disclose stock sales and owning individual stocks despite testifying otherwise. Hawley also criticized the Department of Energy for allowing senior officials to own stocks related to the agency's work, alleging institutionalized corruption. Granholm defended the agency's ethics office and claimed that officials strictly own stocks in areas they do not influence.
The Biden administration has canceled plans to purchase oil to refill the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve due to soaring oil prices, with the Energy Department citing the need to keep the taxpayer's interest in mind. The decision comes as global benchmark Brent crude prices approach $90 per barrel and concerns about supply from Russia and the Middle East persist. The administration's delay in refilling the reserve could jeopardize its goal of fully replenishing it by the end of the year, as it has struggled to do so within the specified price points. The current level of the reserve stands at around 363 million barrels, down from 600 million barrels at the start of 2022.
The Department of Energy is heavily investing in geothermal energy, a clean and on-demand power source that harnesses heat from deep within the Earth to produce largely pollution-free electricity. The agency aims to supply the energy equivalent of 4 million households by 2030 and hopes to install between 90 to 300 gigawatts of geothermal power by 2050. This form of energy has garnered interest from both the renewable energy sector and the oil and gas industry, and it has bipartisan support in Congress. The main challenge lies in building confidence and attracting investment from the financial industry, but the Department of Energy is committed to de-risking the industry and accelerating its development.
Analyst Craig Irwin upgraded Plug Power stock to buy from neutral, doubling the price target to $9, citing confidence in the company's new Georgia facility and its leadership team. The stock surged over 20% as it looks to end a month of wild swings, including a slide after announcing a stock-sale plan and a rally following an update on funding progress. Irwin sees flexibility in Plug Power's funding options, including potential Department of Energy loan facility, and views a successful loan application as a catalyst for the company.
The Department of Energy has finalized new energy efficiency standards for stoves, with a minimal impact on gas models but a significant impact on electric stoves, which will need to comply by 2028. The changes are projected to lower Americans' utility bills by $1.6 billion over 30 years and reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by almost 4 million metric tons. The regulations were prompted by concerns over gas stoves' potential health hazards, but the final standards are less stringent than initially proposed. New regulations for other appliances are also in the pipeline.