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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Trump's presidential win boosted his social media company, Tesla, and crypto stocks.</li><li>Banking stocks also gained, while clean-energy stocks tumbled.</li></ul>Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/trump-trade-us-presidential-election-dollar-treasuries-stocks-crypto-djt-2024-11">boosted shares</a> of his social media company, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>'s Tesla, and a slew of cryptocurrency stocks in premarket trading on Wednesday.The former president's reelection sent renewable-energy stocks tumbling as traders bet his administration would be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-trump-climate-policies-ev-subsidies-renewables-fossil-fuel-drilling-2024-7">less friendly</a> in terms of subsidies and regulation.Shares of Trump Media &amp; Technology Group surged as much as 62% to $55 as investors wagered Truth Social's parent company, which counts Trump as its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-truth-social-tmtg-stock-wealth-election-harris-x-2024-9">largest shareholder</a>, would benefit from his second term. The stock — which has Trump's initials, DJT, as its ticker — was trading 37% higher at last check.If the gain holds, Trump would be about $1.3 billion richer on paper given his near-53% stake in the company.Tesla stock rose 15% in premarket trading and was poised to open at its highest level in more than a year. Musk, the electric-vehicle maker's CEO, has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-praises-elon-musk-a-star-is-born-2024-11">emerged</a> as one of Trump's most vocal champions and closest advisors.Crypto stocks jumped on the prospect of a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/bitcoin-price-record-high-crypto-trump-trade-us-presidential-election-2024-11">friendlier US regulatory environment</a> under Trump. Coinbase and MicroStrategy both rose 13% in Wednesday's premarket. Bitcoin, the most popular crypto, climbed past $75,000 for the first time on election night before paring gains.<h2 id="b91524b5-c53d-4ab4-9fae-d43ef3d76f42">Boost for banks</h2>Conventional financial stocks also gained with Bank of America, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, Blackstone, and KKR rising between 6% and 9% in the US premarket.Traders expect Wall Street banks, asset managers, and private equity firms to benefit from tax cuts and deregulation under Trump.In contrast, clean-energy stocks slid with Plug Power, SunRun, First Solar, and Enphase Energy all dropping at least 10% in premarket trading. Danish wind turbine manufacturer Orsted and rival Vestas fell 10% and 8% respectively in Frankfurt trading.The declines likely reflect concerns that Trump's reelection will lead to the repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act passed by the Biden administration, which provided large-scale tax credits for renewable-energy providers.The broader stock market gained before the open with futures underlying the S&amp;P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing more than 2.3%, while Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1.8%.

Trump Media, Tesla, and crypto stocks surge as Trump wins — and clean energy companies tumble

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Firebricks have been around for thousands of years.</li><li>Industries use them to store heat from burning <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exxon-acquisition-permian-basin-pioneer-fossil-fuels-energy-transition-2023-10">fossil fuels</a>; newer versions conduct electricity.</li></ul>Industrial manufacturers make materials like aluminum and glass for everything from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy02osti/32135.pdf">beverage containers</a> to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785423024006">aircraft parts</a>. They're also responsible for 17% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to recent research published in <a target="_blank" href="https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae274">PNAS Nexus</a>.That's a problem. Countries are struggling to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/carbon-emissions-2022-record-renewables-growth-solar-wind-iea-2023-3">cut CO2 emissions</a> as the climate crisis worsens. And switching these major manufacturers to cleaner sources of energy, like wind and solar, would help significantly.But when the sun isn't shining or wind isn't blowing, these manufacturers need to rely on stored energy. Batteries are one option, but some scientists think an ancient technology, firebricks, is a cheaper and easier solution.<h2 id="4d66210e-a897-4885-9d6c-45b833a3fd2c">Firebricks are cheap and effective</h2><div type="image" title="A hand holds a thin grayish brick with white speckles" height="683" width="1024" msid="112508425" hostid="261" sizebytes="28908"></div>If you have a brick fireplace, you might notice the bricks stay warm for a while after the fire goes out.People have used bricks to<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X23000287"> help keep</a> kilns and ovens hot since the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bronze-age-lost-tomb-ireland-rediscovered-photogrammetry-2024-1">Bronze Age</a>. Even modern industrial manufacturers use firebricks in daily operations.They stack the bricks in tall rows, heat them up to extremely high temperatures, and then blow air through channels to harness the heat for melting glass or metal, for example.Heating up the bricks causes carbon emissions since manufacturers typically burn fossil fuels to do it.However, a few new companies think they've figured out how to use electricity from the grid to heat up the bricks instead.Electrified Thermal Solutions and other companies make firebricks that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/power-grid-transmission-renewable-energy-nimby-states-ferc-2024-5">conduct electricity</a>."A normal firebrick is an insulator like rubber. Electricity just doesn't go through it," MIT professor Charles Forsberg, an advisor to the company, said.However, when you add compounds like chromia and nickel oxide the firebrick becomes an electrical conductor.Forsberg said these conductive bricks function similarly to an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gas-stove-debate-cooking-induction-electric-kitchen-2023-1">electric oven</a>, except the firebrick can handle heat that would melt your oven's wires."It's a way to heat firebricks to a blazingly hot temperature," he said. It can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/25/science/race-clean-up-heavy-industry-heats-up/">reach</a> 3,270 degrees Fahrenheit, more than hot enough to melt steel, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/25/science/race-clean-up-heavy-industry-heats-up/">The Boston Globe reported</a>.Instead of storing the electricity like a battery, the bricks would store heat. So, a steel mill, for example, could take <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/modernize-us-electric-grid-what-it-will-take-2024-5">electricity from the grid</a>. The high electrical current would heat up the oxides inside the firebricks, and the bricks would retain the heat, which the manufacturer could then use to melt metal.Of course, there's still the issue that electricity from the grid often comes from fossil fuels. But eventually, as more renewable energy feeds the grid, this could help major manufacturers drastically reduce carbon emissions, and also save a lot of money.Mark Jacobson, a professor at Stanford University, estimated in the PNAS Nexus study that transitioning 149 countries entirely to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-renewable-energy-transition-solar-electric-vehicles-hit-records-2024-2">renewable energy</a> by 2050 would cost about $59 trillion. He and his colleagues used computer models to examine two options: one where industries used firebricks and one where they relied on technologies like electric furnaces and boilers and stored energy in batteries.Implementing firebricks saved over $1.2 trillion dollars worldwide, he told Business Insider.The savings partially come from the bricks' cheap cost, which are about a tenth of the price of traditional storage batteries, Jacobson said. "When we use firebricks, we reduce the cost of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-was-battery-powered-twice-last-week-2024-4">batteries</a> because we need fewer batteries," he said.<h2 id="518d0dd9-00e6-4e75-b1be-eeb5884abf76">Making small changes for big emissions savings</h2><div type="image" title="Two people stand in front of a device that looks like a large refrigerator" height="683" width="1024" msid="112508428" hostid="261" sizebytes="72432"></div>Forsberg said early adopters of conductive firebricks might still use <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/natural-gas-biden-exports-pause-energy-costs-less-predictable-2024-2">natural gas</a> or oil if they run out of stored heat."Someday in the future, it may all be electric," he said, "but my guess is in the near term, most of the people who need high-temperature heat are going to buy a cheap <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-ban-gas-stoves-in-new-buildings-emissions-reduction-2023-4">gas burner</a>."It's also going to take a while to get these new firebricks installed. Jacobson said the first adopters might be companies that need to replace their equipment or newcomers starting from scratch. Once they do, though, "I think they'll find that it's actually much more beneficial," he said.Electrified Thermal Solutions is working on one of its first industrial applications, <a target="_blank" href="https://electrifiedthermal.com/kentucky-governor-announces-ets-available-for-doe-funding-to-help-electrify-chemical-plant/">replacing</a> gas boilers in a Kentucky chemical plant.Another company, <a target="_blank" href="https://rondo.com/calgren-case-study">Rondo</a>, has installed its technology in a biofuel company in California. Rondo said its system reduces CO2 emissions and lowers the cost of energy because it requires less electricity than hydrogen fuel.Having a few successful example projects might help change some minds in other industries, Jacobson said.Forsberg said one of the biggest benefits of the newer firebrick technology is that it updates processes many industries have in place. "The goal is minimum change," he said. "If you want to cause a revolution in technology, don't change anything you don't have to change."

Researchers want to combine an ancient technology with clean energy to save over $1 trillion worldwide

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Short-sellers betting against renewable energy stocks made $1.3 billion since Trump's win, Bloomberg reported. </li><li>Trump is expected to roll back many of the Biden administration's climate programs.</li></ul>It was a tough week for clean energy stocks after Donald Trump clinched the presidential election, but for the short sellers betting against them, the gains have been impressive. Traders betting against renewables have gains on paper of around $1.3 billion since Trump's win sent stocks in the sector tumbling, according to Bloomberg.Among the most-shorted renewable names are shares of Plug Power, SolarEdge Technologies, and Enphase Energy, which have each seen declines of over 24% since market close on Tuesday. First Solar and Bloom Energy have also been popular targets for short-sellers, and have lost around 11% and 3% since Tuesday.The renewables selloff comes after Trump won the US presidential election earlier this week.Trump, who frequently used the slogan "drill, baby, drill" while on the campaign trail, is expected to roll back many of the Biden administration's clean energy initiatives. In particular, Trump has long been critical of the Inflation Reduction Act's billions of dollars toward solar and wind subsidies.Trump could also slash subsidies for electric vehicles and manufacturing EV batteries in the US, which has led EV makers' stocks to tumble (<a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/tesla-stock-price-trump-win-elon-musk-election-tsla-2024-11">excluding Tesla</a>, which is headed by key Trump ally Elon Musk and is expected to benefit from the former president's return to the White House).Trump is also expected to pull out of the Paris Agreement again, which would remove the US from worldwide climate diplomacy talks with Europe and China.Trump has also promised to make it easier to develop energy infrastructure. In the spring, he asked top oil executives for a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-asked-oil-execs-for-1bn-2024?utm_source=Iterable&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=campaign_BI%20Sustainability,%20November%207,%202024">$1 billion contribution</a> to his campaign in exchange for dismantling Biden's environmental policies, handing out more drilling leases, and expediting permits for new liquefied natural gas exports, according to a report from the Washington Post.

Traders betting against clean energy stocks have made $1.3 billion since Trump's election win

India offers huge <keyword id="20009960" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investment-opportunities" source="keywords">investment opportunities</keyword> worth over <keyword id="20120060" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="USD-500-billion" source="keywords">USD 500 billion</keyword>, particularly in <keyword id="19914923" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="clean-energy" source="keywords">clean energy</keyword> value chain including <keyword id="19955662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewables" source="keywords">renewables</keyword>, <keyword id="19990484" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-hydrogen" source="keywords">green hydrogen</keyword> and <keyword id="19931191" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EV" source="keywords">EV</keyword>, by 2030, the <keyword id="19910473" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Commerce-ministry" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Commerce ministry" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Commerce ministry">commerce ministry</keyword> said on Thursday. This was stated by Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal, who is in Singapore for the two-day meet of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Clean Economy Investor Forum. The meeting, which started on Wednesday, brought together the region's top investors, clean economy companies, and start-ups to mobilise investments into <keyword id="20900661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainable-infrastructure" source="keywords">sustainable infrastructure</keyword>, <keyword id="21246486" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-technology" source="keywords">climate technology</keyword>, and renewable energy projects. The 14-member IPEF bloc was launched jointly by the US and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo. Together, they account for 40 per cent of the world's economic output and 28 per cent of trade. The framework is structured around four pillars relating to trade, supply chains, clean economy and fair economy. India has joined all the pillars except the trade. Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam are members of the bloc. Barthwal, during the inaugural IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum, acknowledged the forum as a unique platform that brought global investors, policy makers, and academia under one roof, which would be instrumental in advancing sustainable infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific Region. The secretary while addressing the forum underlined the huge investment opportunities that "India offers of more than USD 500 billion, particularly in the clean energy value chain including renewables, green hydrogen and EV and its infrastructure transition, by 2030". Barthwal also highlighted key reforms around ease of doing business in India to improve business environment over the last decade. During the two-day event, more than 300 participants from financial institutions, multilateral development banks, venture capital funds, project owners, entrepreneurs and government agencies from IPEF partners actively participated under the sustainable infrastructure and climate tech engagement tracks. In the sustainable infrastructure track, after the screening, "four companies (ReNew Power, Avaada Energy Pvt Ltd, Indusbridge Capital Advisors LLP. Founder, SEIP, and Powerica Ltd) from India were shortlisted for pitching their concepts on energy transition, transport and logistics, and waste management/waste to energy to global investors," the ministry said. Similarly in the climate tech track, 10 Indian startups and companies (BluSmart, Recykal, LOHUM, Sea6 Energy, EVage Ventures, Kabira Mobility, Batx Energies, Newtrace and Alt Mobility, igrenEnergi, Inc.) were selected to pitch their innovative ideas, technologies and solutions that contribute to mitigating or adapting to climate change. Further, the ministry said that the forum resulted in USD 23 billion investment opportunities for sustainable infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific. The coalition estimates that its members, taken together, have over USD 25 billion in capital that can be deployed in Indo-Pacific emerging market infrastructure investments in the coming years. DFC's (Development Finance Corporation) Board has also approved an equity investment as part of the USD 900 million Eversource Climate Investment Partners-II fund, which will provide capital, management, and expertise to innovative companies using new and existing capabilities to address climate change in India and Southeast Asia. It added that the IPEF partners and the Private Infrastructure Development Group announced the operational launch of the IPEF Catalytic Capital Fund, which would deploy concessional financing, technical assistance, and capacity-building support to expand the pipeline of quality, resilient, and inclusive clean economy infrastructure projects in emerging and upper-middle income economies, for instance, projects in development include a renewable energy platform in India. The fund's founding supporters include Australia, Japan, Korea, and the US, which plan to provide USD 33 million in initial grant to catalyse up to USD 3.3 billion in private investment. "A coalition of investors, including Singapore's Temasek and GIC, have committed to injecting USD 25 billion in infrastructure investments in emerging markets that are part of an economic alliance between the US and several Asia-Pacific countries," it added. The event also witnessed signing of an offtake agreement between Sembcorp Green Hydrogen India, Kyushu Electric and Sojitz for production and export of 200 KTPA (kilotonne per annum) green ammonia from India to Japan. The programme was attended by ministers from Singapore and Japan and Barthwal. The agreement aims to increase production and export of 200 KTPA green ammonia in Phase-I (total 800 KTPA in 4 phases) at Tuticorin Port in India and export to Japan. The project proposed above would further the objective of the National Green Hydrogen Mission implemented by India towards making the country as global hub for production and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. During an interaction with Indian companies and startups, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce and India's Chief Negotiator for IPEF Rajesh Agrawal said the forum provides an opportunity for Indian companies and startups to seek funding and collaborate with global investors.

India offers USD 500 billion investment opportunities in clean energy, green hydrogen and EV by 2030

<ul><li>Apollo Green Energy is expected to announce its initial public offering (IPO) in 2025.</li><li>The company, a part of the Apollo International Group aims to build a <keyword id="23806914" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="10000-crore-project-portfolio" source="keywords">₹10,000 crore project portfolio</keyword>.</li><li>The company currently has an order book of ₹3,500 crore.</li></ul>Apollo Green Energy Ltd (AGEL), part of Apollo International Group, on Tuesday said it is preparing for a public listing next year to support its expansion plans and secure new projects. Also, the company is set to build a ₹10,000-crore project portfolio by 2025. "With over 200 professionals and an order book of ₹3,500 crore, we are focused on delivering projects that meet the nation's energy needs and promote sustainability. Our upcoming IPO in 2025 will further strengthen our financial base, enabling us to scale our operations and invest in cutting-edge renewable technologies," said Sanjay Gupta, CEO, Apollo Green Energy. AGEL is a leading Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) company specializing in renewable energy, providing a range of solutions that includes utility-scale solar, energy storage systems, green hydrogen initiatives, and hybrid power. Operating in eight states, the company manages a diverse portfolio of projects, including 400 MW of solar installations. The company has been involved in the execution of Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) systems to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions, a major contributor to pollution, in power generation. This project, valued at approximately Rs 700 crore, is nearing completion. "Currently, we are executing a large utility-scale solar project which requires different technical expertise, like we are doing 40 MW solar fixed tilt in Odisha, 50 MW floating solar project (first of its kind)in Kerala and 200 MW solar with tracker technology in Gujarat. "We are also executing a 1,50,000 smart solar street lights project in Bihar. Going forward, AGEL will also expand its footprint in wind, hybrid, green Hydrogen and battery storage solutions." Gupta added. AGEL aims to play a crucial role in supporting India's clean energy goals. By focusing on solar, green hydrogen, and hydro energy projects, the company not only supports the nation's energy transition but also delivers long-term value for stakeholders, the company said. With revenue growth from Rs 324.83 crore in FY22 to Rs 1,174.77 crore in FY24, AGEL is poised to sustain this momentum through FY25, underscoring its commitment to operational efficiency. In addition, AGEL is also forming strategic partnerships with technology providers and exploring options to produce its own solar modules. These moves will help the company expand its capabilities in renewable energy and keep projects cost-effective, all while contributing to India's vision for a cleaner energy future. With inputs from PTI. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-gt-7-pro-with-snapdragon-8-elite-6500mah-battery-to-launch-in-india-on-november-26/articleshow/114945858.cms">Realme GT 7 Pro with Snapdragon 8 Elite, 6,500mAh battery to launch in India on November 26</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-ipo-indias-biggest-telco-to-go-public-in-2025-retail-ipo-further-away/articleshow/114944496.cms">Reliance Jio IPO – India’s biggest telco to go public in 2025, retail IPO further away</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/october-auto-sales-maruti-suzuki-and-tata-motors-report-a-decline-mahindra-continues-to-grow/articleshow/114931927.cms">October auto sales – Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors report a decline, Mahindra continues to grow</a>

Apollo Green Energy to go public next year – aims to build ₹10,000 crore project portfolio

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aws">Amazon</a> is anchoring a $500 million financing round for X-energy to develop modular nuclear reactors.</li><li>The first sites in Washington and Virginia would provide carbon-free energy to meet growing demand.</li></ul>Big Tech continues to go nuclear as the artificial intelligence boom drives energy demand to new heights.Amazon announced on Wednesday that it is anchoring a $500 million investment for X-energy to develop small advanced modular nuclear reactors, which will provide carbon-free power for some of its data centers.Amazon's AWS, which provides cloud services to clients, including generative AI products, relies on large data centers that require huge amounts of energy to operate.Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin, as well as affiliates of Ares Management Corporation, NGP, and the University of Michigan, are among the investors in the Series C-1 financing round."We need smart solutions that can help us meet growing energy demands while also addressing climate change," Amazon's vice president of global data centers, Kevin Miller, said in a statement. "X-energy's technology will be integral in helping achieve this, and is an important step in Amazon's work to achieve our Climate Pledge commitment to be net-zero by 2040."The companies said their partnership aims to develop more than 5 gigawatts of new power projects across the US by 2039.The first sites in Washington and Virginia would provide carbon-free energy to meet growing demand through partnerships with Energy Northwest and Dominion Energy, respectively.Using clusters of 80-megawatt reactors, the first installation in Washington will begin with four units generating 320 megawatts of power, with the option to scale up to 12 units that deliver 960 megawatts. The highest carbon-emitting coal-powered plants generate roughly 2,000 to 4,000 megawatts, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/the-top-10-emitting-power-plants-in-america/">according</a> to Politico's E&amp;E News.Amazon's investment follows similar interest in nuclear from Microsoft and Google as the tech giants seek out clean energy to fuel foundation AI development for large language models, which require massive amounts of energy.Microsoft last month helped advance a plan to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/three-mile-island-nuclear-plant-reopens-power-microsoft-ai-push-2024-9">reopen the Three Mile Island</a> plant, the site of one of the worst nuclear disasters in US history, and Google on Monday <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/google-kairos-power-nuclear-energy-agreement/">announced</a> a partnership in SMR tech with Kairos Power.<div type="image" title="three mile island" height="1328" width="2000" msid="114291452" hostid="261" sizebytes="147418"></div>Earlier this year, Amazon also <a target="_blank" href="https://ir.talenenergy.com/static-files/f02c44a9-d2dc-45c1-9331-eee1495f7d2d">bought</a> a $650 million data center in Pennsylvania that came with a direct line to the nearby nuclear-powered Susquehanna Steam Electric Station.Other proposals in New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas would build data centers adjacent to nuclear plants in order to bypass the power grid, IEEE Spectrum <a target="_blank" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-data-center-nuclear-power">reported</a>.In contrast to a full-scale nulear facility, X-energy says its modular system is "road-shippable" and able to be installed where it is needed."Nuclear is an important source of clean and reliable power that our nation needs to meet the growing demand for energy," Ken Griffin said in a statement. "X-energy provides an impactful solution to a critical challenge – and the support Amazon, Dow, and other major corporations have provided underscores its potential and merit."

Amazon invests in nuclear energy, hot on the heels of Google and Microsoft

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Renewables can offer cheaper energy than fossil fuels, but the grid isn't designed to handle them.</li><li>We explore the places in the US making progress on this front. </li></ul>Think about the last time your <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackouts-power-outages-more-common-climate-change-electric-grid-infrastructure-2023-3">power went out</a>.Maybe a car hit an electricity-distribution pole or a falling branch took down a power line <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-from-texas-power-outage-ercot-energy-grid-winter-storm-2023-12">during a storm</a>. It probably took at least a few minutes, maybe hours, before your power turned back on.Most likely, that's because workers at your local utility first had to assess how to restore your power. Then dispatchers had to drive to the nearby switches that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-winter-storm-power-cuts-white-house-emergency-declaration-2021-2">control the flow of energy</a> and manually flip them until everyone's lights were back on.Not in Chattanooga, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-tennessee-pros-cons-nashville-memphis-chattanooga-2023-2">Tennessee</a>. Instead, software automatically sends commands to smart switches throughout the system, rerouting the flow of electricity to restore power in seconds.The electric utility in Chattanooga, EPB, has invested $280 million in creating one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/power-smart-grid-electric-investment-save-money-prevent-blackouts-2024-4">smartest power grids</a> in the country. It has this self-healing system and manages energy more efficiently than traditional grids, reduces carbon emissions, and saves customers money on their electricity bills."They are an example of people who are looking forward to say: We see technology coming," Kevin Schneider, the chief engineer studying power systems at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, told Business Insider. "It is a challenge. It will be expensive, but we view it as less expensive and less challenging than doing nothing for the next 10 years and then trying to catch up."Nationwide, our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/power-grid-strain-home-vehicle-electrification-ai-startups-2024-3">power systems are in trouble</a>. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-laws-us-infrastructure-invest-funding-2024-3">infrastructure is aging and outdated</a>, costing consumers billions a year in higher energy bills. Moreover, the aging grid is not ready for the barrage of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-migration-where-moved-escape-natural-disasters-extreme-weather">increasingly severe weather</a> that the climate crisis is bringing, nor the incoming surge of renewable energy and battery storage as the US moves toward the Biden-Harris administration's goal to achieve a carbon-pollution-free grid by 2035."Much of our grid infrastructure is 40, 50, 60-plus years old," Joe Rand, an energy policy researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, told BI. "And so it is in need of upgrading and maintenance."Smarter grids, like Chattanooga's, are just part of what it will take to modernize the American grid in the coming decades. They can deliver electricity in a "cleaner, more efficient, faster way," Joshua Rhodes, a research scientist studying smart grids at the University of Texas at Austin, told BI.However, getting that electricity in the first place from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-green-power-energy-america-economy-wind-oil-solar-prices-2023-11">wind, solar, and other renewables</a> is where the challenge begins.<h2 id="69b81dd9-e41b-4840-b480-f88f0bf2481c">A troubled transition to renewable energy</h2><div type="image" title="giant wind turbines standing in water" height="1414" width="2121" msid="110091236" hostid="261" sizebytes="187698"></div>Last year was record-breaking for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-renewable-energy-transition-solar-electric-vehicles-hit-records-2024-2">clean energy in the US</a>. Renewables, including wind, solar, and hydropower, represented about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wri.org/insights/clean-energy-progress-united-states">25% of the electricity generated</a> in the US in the first half of 2023.And this year is off to a solid start. South Fork Wind — New York's first offshore wind farm — began powering homes in March. And the Edwards &amp; Sanborn project, the US's largest solar energy and energy storage project in California, came online in January.Renewable energy is not only cleaner than fossil fuels but also often less expensive."In many parts of the United States, wind and or solar are basically the cheapest ways that we can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-panel-industry-electricity-generation-us-eia-tariff-prices-trade-2024-2">generate electricity</a>," Rand said.But we have a long way to go to reach 100% clean electricity by 2035. Renewables are intermittent energy sources. Unlike fossil fuels, the amount of energy they generate fluctuates. But <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hedge-funds-betting-electricity-power-grid-congestion-trading-2024-3">our grid system wasn't designed</a> to handle that variation.Plugging intermittent energy sources into this outdated grid network can cause problems, such as energy imbalances that exceed capacity and trigger outages, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.stevens.edu/profile/podonkor">Philip Odonkor</a>, an assistant professor in the School of Systems and Enterprises at Stevens Institute of Technology, told BI.So what's happened is a bottleneck: Renewable projects are generating energy but with limited ways of getting it to towns and cities. At the end of 2023, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/Queued%20Up%E2%80%A6But%20in%20Need%20of%20Transmission.pdf">930 gigawatts</a> of power — enough to power <a target="_blank" href="https://www.seia.org/solar-industry-research-data">roughly</a> 171 million homes — were waiting to connect to the grid.To achieve zero-emissions electricity by 2035, the US needs to revamp the grid with up to 10,100 miles of new transmission lines that can transport renewable energy from point A to point B. The Midwest grid operator, Midcontinent Independent System Operator, has approved the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nrdc.org/bio/toba-pearlman/midwest-grid-operators-inching-forward-miles-go-0">country's largest transmission investment</a> to date, totaling $10.3 billion, to improve how it delivers electricity to 45 million people across the Midwest.But in general, construction on new high-voltage transmission has slowed to a trickle over the past decade, Rand said. In 2013, the US <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ferc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/dec-energy-infrastructure_3.pdf">completed</a> over 3,000 miles of transmission projects. Last year, it <a target="_blank" href="https://cms.ferc.gov/media/energy-infrastructure-update-december-2023">completed</a> 251 miles.It's not economic or technology barriers holding these projects back, Rand said: "It's institutional, regulatory, and social issues."<h2 id="ed839077-604c-48e7-a55c-f3e216767d9a">Breaking down barriers</h2><div type="image" title="A man walks through a power station" height="1937" width="3000" msid="110091239" hostid="261" sizebytes="1045202"></div>When South Fork Wind began operations in March, it was a major milestone but also years behind schedule. Economic headwinds struck in 2020 with the Trump administration's moratorium on offshore wind, which stalled progress for two years."The clearest delay for South Fork was losing those years of progress," said <a target="_blank" href="https://wrisenergy.org/about-wrise/leadership/board/">Julia Bovey</a>, the director of external affairs for offshore wind at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eversource.com/content/residential">Eversource Energy</a>, which co-owns South Fork Wind with <a target="_blank" href="https://us.orsted.com/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwir2xBhC_ARIsAMTXk84wQN2zsVWYlPKJurVNpM-v2sPcNdUtPeJL5HMpCMOYQ9fYAfdwwnwaAu_mEALw_wcB">Ørsted</a>.Other obstacles stand in the way of clean energy — the biggest being the lengthy permitting process and interconnection queue delays. The permitting process for renewable-energy projects involves massive amounts of paperwork and can take <a target="_blank" href="https://www.osc.ny.gov/press/releases/2024/04/dinapoli-renewable-energy-projects-taking-years-become-operational-nys#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20the%20permit%20application,permit%20process%20is%20not%20improved">three or more years to finish</a>.In the end, about <a target="_blank" href="https://emp.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/Queued%20Up%202024%20Edition_1.pdf">80%</a> don't make it to completion, and those that do can get stuck in the clogged interconnection queue for as long as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2024/03/01/the-energy-sector-and-ai-unplugging-the-interconnection-queue-backlog/?sh=4932ad4162f4">five more years</a>. By the end of 2023, almost <a target="_blank" href="https://emp.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/Queued%20Up%202024%20Edition_1.pdf">12,000 projects</a> were in the queue, waiting to be connected to the grid."It's a seriously complex process with so many stakeholders," Bovey said.South Fork Wind was the first utility-scale offshore-wind project in the US to make it through this process. In doing so, it revealed a lot of issues that could be fixed through standardization and better agency coordination, Bovey said. But it also proved that bringing offshore wind online was possible."Every hope is that this has paved the way for future projects to be cheaper, bigger, faster, and just as responsible — just as well sited," Bovey said.On the whole, Paul Denholm, a principal analyst and senior research fellow at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is more skeptical of the country's prospects. We'll be closer to a 50% renewable-power grid by 2035 with the way things are going, he told BI.Right now, we lack the federal policy necessary to solve regulatory and permitting delays, clear the interconnection queue, and drive rapid infrastructure upgrades and technology implementation, Denholm said.For example, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator's transmission investment, while noteworthy, took 11 years to get approval, and its next series of approvals have been delayed."So from that standpoint, it's pretty clear that we're not on a path to get to 100%," Denholm said.<h2 id="a55db279-156b-40fd-940e-ba037839bbdf">There's no going back</h2><div type="image" title="An electric vehicle charges in California" height="683" width="1024" msid="110091241" hostid="261" sizebytes="41490"></div>Regardless of how quickly the US gets there, we're headed for a clean-energy revolution. The federal government has invested nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.energy.gov/infrastructure/clean-energy-infrastructure-funding-projects-and-programs">$100 billion</a> in clean energy through its Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.Old infrastructure must be modernized across the country because the production and use of energy are going to get much more complicated.Nationwide, the grid draws power from about 12,000 power plants. Over the next 20 years or so, it will have to balloon to incorporate millions of small, distributed energy-generation resources, from hydropower dams to offshore wind farms to rooftop solar panels.Then there will be the batteries, which store wind and solar energy until a rainy day. Meanwhile, newly electrified cars and heating systems will increase energy demand.Eventually, home appliances may tap into data from the grid — how much people are drawing energy from it, how much carbon it's emitting, and how much electricity costs at any given hour — to help you make smart decisions about when to wash your dishes or heat your house."Historically it was meant to go one way," Schneider said of the grid. "Now we've got solar that pushes power back in. We've got EVs. We've got new loads like heat pumps. So the edge is getting so much more complicated with a lot more stakeholders in there."Smart grids are essential for integrating all that new stuff. The rollout of smart-grid technologies, renewable projects, and new transmission lines will happen piecemeal across the country, at different paces in different places, depending on policies, utility finances, and the economy — high up-front costs can be a major deterrent. However, the return on investment can be even greater.Take Chattanooga. EPB spent $280 million to refurbish its power system with smart technologies. In its first 10 years, the project generated $2.7 billion worth of economic value by creating jobs, attracting businesses, and reducing customers' electricity bills, an EPB-funded <a target="_blank" href="https://assets.epb.com/media/Lobo%20-%20Ten%20Years%20of%20Fiber%20Infrastructure%20in%20Hamilton%20County%20TN_Published.pdf">study</a> found.MISO foresees a similar return on its $10.3 billion investment. It estimates that investment will bring <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/sam-gomberg/midwest-transmission-system-investments-will-be-a-game-changer-for-a-clean-energy-future/">$37.3 billion of value</a> for customers by transporting cheaper, more reliable power. So the benefits can outweigh the cost."As we move forward, things are becoming more complex," Schneider said. "And we need to find ways to work together collaboratively. Because no one group or organization has all the answers, it's going to be a lot of different things coming together."

What it will take to modernize the American grid and usher in the clean-energy revolution

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft are striking nuclear power deals for their AI data centers.</li><li>The nuclear power resurgence is driven by clean energy demand and AI's soaring power needs.</li></ul>The nuclear power industry <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-google-microsoft-openai-big-tech-investment-nuclear-ai-race-2024-10">is undergoing a renaissance</a> as demand for clean power soars across the country, partly driven by the soaring energy needs associated with artificial intelligence data centers.Mega-cap technology companies, including <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/amzn-stock">Amazon</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/msft-stock">Microsoft</a>, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/googl-stock">Alphabet</a>, have inked nuclear power deals to feed their growing energy needs as AI becomes a bigger part of their businesses. One utility company is even restarting the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant after inking a 20-year deal to sell the power to Microsoft.Three Mile Island, located on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, was the site of the country's worst nuclear accident in 1979.Meanwhile, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-nuclear-power-strategy-ai-2024-10">Amazon has led a $500 million financing round</a> for a company developing modular nuclear reactors and purchased a nuclear-powered data center in March for $650 million."One of the fastest ways to address climate change is by transitioning our society to carbon-free energy sources, and nuclear energy is both carbon-free and able to scale—which is why it's an important area of investment for Amazon," Amazon Web Services CEO, Matt Garman, said in a press release.Analysts on Wall Street are encouraged, too. "The nuclear energy projects involve the construction of several Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), a compact, advanced type of reactor that can be built closer to grids and completed faster than traditional reactors. SMRs also offer the potential to reduce carbon emissions, paving the way for cleaner, more sustainable energy," CFRA analyst Arun Sundaram said in a note last week.He added: "With the full power of AI dependent on both data centers and energy infrastructure, these investments further help AMZN secure its positioning as a leading cloud/AI provider."The resurgence in nuclear power has led to big moves on Wall Street, with some stocks more than doubling in just a few days this month.From utility companies to uranium miners to small-scale nuclear developers, these stocks are soaring amid the revival of America's nuclear power industry.7. Cameco<div type="image" title="CCJ stock" height="568" width="671" msid="114593576" hostid="261" sizebytes="23410"></div>Ticker: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/ccj-stock">CCJ</a> Market value: $23.6 billion YTD Performance: +25%6. BWX Technologies<div type="image" title="BWXT stock" height="595" width="682" msid="114593572" hostid="261" sizebytes="21428"></div>Ticker: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/bwxt-stock">BWXT</a> Market value: $11.3 billion YTD Performance: +62%5. Oklo<div type="image" title="OKLO stock" height="590" width="674" msid="114593573" hostid="261" sizebytes="18650"></div>Ticker: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/oklo-stock">OKLO</a> Market value: $2.4 billion YTD Performance: +88%4. Constellation Energy<div type="image" title="CEG stock" height="610" width="680" msid="114593579" hostid="261" sizebytes="23222"></div>Ticker: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/ceg-stock">CEG</a> Market value: $83.5 billion YTD Performance: +128%3. Vistra<div type="image" title="CEG stock" height="570" width="676" msid="114593574" hostid="261" sizebytes="22818"></div>Ticker: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/vst-stock">VST</a> Market value: $43.0 billion YTD Performance: +224%2. Nano Nuclear Energy<div type="image" title="NNE stock" height="588" width="677" msid="114593578" hostid="261" sizebytes="21170"></div>Ticker: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/nne-stock">NNE</a> Market value: $589.6 million YTD Performance: +272%1. NuScale Power<div type="image" title="SMR stock" height="567" width="676" msid="114593570" hostid="261" sizebytes="21064"></div>Ticker: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/smr-stock">SMR</a> Market value: $1.8 billion YTD Performance: +481%

Nuclear power stocks are soaring amid an AI energy push. Here are 7 names to watch.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Google could one day use nuclear energy to power its AI data centers.</li><li>Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company is "evaluating technologies like small modular nuclear reactors."</li></ul>If Google CEO Sundar Pichai's hints on Thursday are any indicator, nuclear energy may one day power some of Google's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-google-microsoft-ai-future-data-centers-monopoly-tech-industry-2024-6">energy-hungry AI data centers</a>.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-google-manager-made-working-with-manual-for-coworkers-2024-9">Google</a>, Pichai said, is looking for energy sources that not only meet its high energy needs but will also fulfill its goal of generating net-zero emissions.The search giant aims to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/google-s-carbon-emissions-surge-amid-ai-energy-demand-1033526252">achieve net-zero emissions</a> across all of its operations by 2030."It was a very ambitious target and we are still going to be working very ambitiously towards it. Obviously, the trajectory of AI investments has added to the scale of the task needed," Pichai said in an interview with Nikkei Asia published Thursday."We are now looking at additional investments, be it solar, and evaluating technologies like small modular nuclear reactors, etc.," Pichai added, though he didn't specify when and where Google would start sourcing electricity from nuclear power plants.To be sure, this isn't the first time Google has expressed interest in clean energy alternatives like nuclear energy.In September 2023, Google published a blog post and white paper saying that it would "continue to invest significantly" in clean energy technologies like geothermal power and hydrogen.Google isn't the only tech giant considering using nuclear energy to power its data centers.Both its competitors, Amazon and Microsoft, have already announced electricity deals with nuclear power stations.In March, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-could-cut-managers-save-3-billion-analysts-2024-10">Amazon</a> inked a $650 million deal to buy electricity from the Susquehanna nuclear power station, per the Financial Times.Then, in September, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-plan-double-triple-data-center-capacity-2024-4">Microsoft</a> signed a 20-year deal to purchase energy from Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island nuclear plant, the plant's owner, Constellation Energy, said in a statement.The reactor, which was shut down in 2019, is slated to be restarted in 2028.

Google is considering nuclear power to feed its energy-hungry AI data centers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zap-energy-fusion-power-plant-z-pinch-2023-12">fusion reactor</a> in southern France achieved a significant milestone toward clean, limitless energy.</li><li>The fusion reactor, WEST, created a super-hot plasma and sustained it for a record-breaking 6 minutes.</li></ul>A fusion reactor in southern France, called WEST, just achieved an important milestone that brings us one step closer to clean, sustainable, nearly limitless energy.Scientists at New Jersey's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, who collaborated on the project, announced today that the device created a super-hot material called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-video-solar-flares-erupt-simultaneously-on-sun-earth-impacts-2024-4">a plasma</a> that reached 90 million degrees Fahrenheit (50 million degrees Celsius) for 6 straight minutes.The ultimate goal is to sustain a super-hot plasma for many hours, but 6 minutes is a new world record for a device like WEST. Other nuclear reactors similar to WEST have created hotter plasmas, but they haven't lasted as long.WEST is what's called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/largest-fusion-reactor-power-on-in-japan-2023-12">a tokamak</a>. It's a donut-shaped fusion reactor the size of an 8-by-8-foot room with 8-foot-tall ceilings, capable of generating the same type of energy that powers our sun. That's why scientists sometimes call these machines "artificial suns."<div type="image" title="the sun glowing yellow-orange orb in black space covered in roiling plasma with two dark large spots" height="1024" width="1024" msid="109895805" hostid="261"></div>"What we are trying to do is create a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/second-nuclear-fusion-reaction-experiment-yields-more-energy-2023-8">sun on Earth</a>," Luis Delgado-Aparicio, PPPL's head of advanced projects, told Business Insider. "And that is extremely, extremely challenging," he said, but this new record suggests they're headed in the right direction.The sun runs on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hydrogen-bomb-vs-atomic-bomb-what-is-the-difference-2023-9">nuclear fusion</a> (when atomic nuclei combine and release energy) not to be confused with the nuclear fission process (when atomic nuclei split apart and release energy) that powers today's nuclear reactors.Fusion energy is more powerful than any form of energy we have today. If we can harness that power, it could <a target="_blank" href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/what-is-nuclear-fusion">produce</a> almost 4 million times more energy per kilogram of fuel than fossil fuels. Plus, it's carbon-free.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-no-fusion-energy-power-plants-yet-how-2023-10">Significant challenges</a> remain before that becomes a reality, which is where experimental reactors like WEST come in.While WEST won't be used to generate fusion for electricity to power homes, it's critical for the research that's laying the groundwork for future commercial reactors.<h2>WEST creates more energy and lays the groundwork for ITER</h2><div type="image" title="The exterior of a tokamak, a large device with metal ladders and scaffolding around it" height="552" width="600" msid="109895807" hostid="261"></div>WEST has a lot in common with ITER, a nearby reactor being built in southern France, which will be the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whats-the-iter-nuclear-fusion-plant-and-why-is-it-important-2016-2">world's largest tokamak</a> capable of self-sustaining burning plasmas when it's finished. Creating that self-heating mix is a crucial step to harnessing the power of fusion for commercial purposes.However, due to cost and technology <a target="_blank" href="https://phys.org/news/2023-01-international-fusion-energy-delays-chief.html">setbacks</a>, it's unclear when ITER will be finished. In the meantime, other facilities are conducting experiments to figure out how best to operate the giant reactor. That includes WEST.The two reactors are practically neighbors, and the experiments at WEST are directly applicable to ITER, Delgado-Aparicio said.For fusion to happen on Earth, the fuel needs to reach at least 50 million degrees Celsius. One of the main obstacles fusion power faces is that it takes a tremendous amount of energy to generate those extreme temperatures, and, so far, reactors can't sustain a plasma long enough to gain an energy surplus that could be put toward commercial use. For now, fusion reactors typically consume more energy than they produce.WEST's latest breakthrough was no exception. However, it did generate 15% more energy from fusion compared to earlier attempts, PPPL reported in a statement. Moreover, the plasma was twice as dense, another important component of creating more energy.<h2>The key to WEST's record success: tungsten</h2><div type="image" title="A man holds a sample of tungsten in a glass jar" height="651" width="1024" msid="109895809" hostid="261"></div>WEST is helping scientists test the best materials for building the walls inside a fusion reactor, which isn't easy since these environments can reach temperatures more than three times hotter than the sun's center.Originally, WEST contained carbon walls. While carbon is easy to work with, Delgado-Aparicio said, it also absorbs tritium, a rare <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oppenheimer-science-to-understand-physics-atomic-bombs-2023-7">hydrogen isotope</a> that fuels the fusion reaction."Imagine you have a wall that is not only a wall, but it's some sort of a sponge," he said, "a sponge that absorbs your fuel."So, in 2012, scientists decided to test a different material for the tokamak's walls, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tungsten-cube-sold-on-amazon-sell-for-thousands-crypto-community-2021-11">tungsten</a> — the same material that ITER will use for some of its main components.<div type="image" title="Three men in white lab coats sit at a desk looking at a computer" height="1281" width="2000" msid="109895810" hostid="261"></div>Because of tungsten's ability to withstand heat without absorbing tritium, Delgado-Aparicio believes it is the ideal material for tokamak walls.That said, tungsten isn't perfect. One of its downfalls is it can melt and enter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fusion-startup-tokamak-energy-raises-87-million-2020-1">the plasma</a>, contaminating it. In turn, this can counteract the process, radiating a lot of energy away and cooling the plasma.To optimize the system, scientists need to understand how exactly tungsten behaves and interacts with the plasma. That's what researchers are doing with WEST.<div type="image" title="A purplish wavy line against a blue background" height="570" width="696" msid="109895812" hostid="261"></div>The team at PPPL modified a diagnostic tool that they used in this latest experiment from WEST. The tool helped the team accurately measure the plasma's temperature to better understand how tungsten migrates from the wall of the device to the plasma."We can detect how it moves inside, we can follow it, we can study its transport inside the machine," Delgadot-Aparicio said. That could help build future methods for keeping the plasma free of impurities like blobs of tungsten that cool it down."Now we understand how that cooling needs to be taken care of," he said, "and that experience is going to be exported next door to ITER."WEST and ITER aren't the only reactors that use tungsten.Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), for example, is using tungsten walls for SPARC, its demonstration <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/power-line-fuel-for-fusion-energy-investment-falls-bankruptcy-woes-2020-5">fusion reactor</a>. And Korea's KSTAR has a tungsten divertor and recently demonstrated a 30-second, 100-million-degree plasma.Whether tungsten proves to be the key to unlocking commercial fusion energy remains to be seen.Commercial fusion energy is still likely decades away, but Delgado-Aparicio thinks they're making steps toward "this big goal of giving energy to humankind."PPPL said it will publish the results of its experiment in a peer-reviewed journal in a few weeks.

An 'artificial sun' achieved a record-breaking fusion experiment, bringing us closer to clean, limitless energy

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Fed needs to cut rates to help the struggling clean energy sector, Elizabeth Warren said in a letter to Fed Chair Jerome Powell.</li><li>Along with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Warren said that high interest rates have "completely tanked" major renewable infrastructure projects which are heavily debt-financed.</li></ul>High interest rates are hurting the clean energy sector, and the Fed needs to do something about it, Elizabeth Warren said.In a <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-whitehouse-to-federal-reserve-chair-powell-high-interest-rates-are-blocking-clean-energy-progress-increasing-energy-costs">letter</a> written to Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday (before the Fed's March meeting), Sen. Warren said that the central bank's extreme rate hikes have stymied progress in the energy transition."Your decision to rapidly raise interest rates beginning in 2022, and the potential that they may remain too high for too long, has halted advances in deploying renewable energy technologies and delayed significant climate and economic benefits from these projects," Warren, along with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, wrote to Powell.Clean energy projects are an incredibly debt-reliant sector of the economy, and the Fed's elevated rates have pinched those companies by jacking up the cost of borrowing money. Last year, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/renewable-energy-stocks-climate-change-outlook-performance-interest-rates-markets-2023-11">clean energy stocks</a> were some of the worst-performing companies in the S&amp;P 500, and they're still limping along. Amid a record-setting stock market, the <a href="https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239738/ishares-global-clean-energy-etf#chartDialog">iShares Clean Energy ETF</a> is down almost 12% this year alone.In their letter, Warren and Whitehouse noted that the high interest rates have buffeted progress in areas including electric vehicle production, clean energy projects, and offshore wind. They highlighted that EV makers have pushed out plans to increase manufacturing, underscored by announcements like Tesla's lower production forecasts because of "higher borrowing costs."Several clean energy projects have taken a hit, too, with companies backing out of offshore wind projects. Battery storage developers are concerned about meeting their goals in the high-rate environment, they said.Finally, they added that the elevated rates are beginning to impede the Biden administration's goals to increase the 41 megawatts of current offshore wind capacity to 30,000 megawatts by 2030. Because those projects are financed by debt — as much as 85% to 90% of capital expenditures — high rates have in some cases "completely tanked" major renewable infrastructure projects across the country. "Your interest rate increases have jeopardized the IRA's opportunities to create new green jobs and cut electricity costs, despite the Fed's mission to 'promote maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates in the U.S. economy,'" the senators wrote to Powell.They added: "We urge you to cut interest rates throughout 2024 to allow for continued progress on clean energy projects and the climate and economic benefits these projects provide."

You Searched For "clean energy technology" and got 11 results

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