Booming India Is Starved for Power

(NEWSER) - Clean coal is a myth, and the companies selling it “have their heads stuck in the mine,” Thomas Kostigen writes on MarketWatch. Although Americans generate close to 50% of their energy from coal, the technology is so yesterday—and the industry is not poised to move forward. It “should be looking to invest in its own replacement,” Kostigen writes, “because someone somewhere is going to invent it, and then where will they be?” More»

Higher-Capacity Batteries Open PossibilitiesMay Make Motorists Into Energy Traders

(NEWSER) - A souped-up plug-in hybrid unveiled yesterday has excited talk of a future in which cleaner-running cars are also profitable. With a new lithium-ion battery that can store up to nine kilowatt/hours of electricity, a hybrid owner could buy electricity at night, store it in the battery, and then sell it back to the grid at higher prices during the day. More»

Firms use green hype to build power lines that could carry electricity from coal

(NEWSER) - Plans to green the US power supply are in full swing, with the Obama administration working toward the goal of doubling the current supply of alternative energy over the next 3 years. But, some complain, power companies are using the popularity of green power to push through a needless—but highly profitable—expansion of the transmission grid, Katharine Mieszkowski writes for Salon. More»

Particles allow cells to absorb more light, researchers say

(NEWSER) - Scientists believe they’ve found a way to make less expensive, more efficient solar cells: Just add silver, the Economist reports. Standard cells, which rely on a thick layer of pricey silicon, are costly. Problem is, thinner cells absorb less red light, reducing electricity output by 20%. Sprinkling a few cents’ worth of silver on the surface could solve this. More»

Creaky infrastructure not able to deliver alternative energy to consumers

(NEWSER) - The nation's outdated and congested power grid is putting a damper on plans to expand renewable energy programs, the New York Times reports. Generating power from the wind and sun is becoming easier—but getting the power to consumers who live far from the country's windiest and sunniest places remains a problem. More»