Scientists just got one step closer to the next generation of solar panels. Today’s solar panels convert sunlight to electricity using silicon crystal chemistry. Future solar panels might rely on perovskite, a promising material that has the potential to make panels cheaper, simpler, and more efficient. Scientists just need to tweak perovskite to maintain its… Keep reading →
WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to protecting America’s critical infrastructure, U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall today announced new funding to strengthen and protect the nation’s electric grid from cyber and physical attacks. The Energy Department will provide up to $15 million, subject to congressional appropriations, to support efforts by the American… Keep reading →
Developing new prescription drugs and antidotes to toxins currently relies extensively on animal testing in the early stages. That is not only expensive and time consuming, but it can also give scientists inaccurate data about how humans will respond to such agents. But what if researchers could predict the impacts of potentially harmful chemicals, viruses,… Keep reading →
We recently released the second episode of Direct Current, our new Energy.gov podcast. In this episode, Paul Lester and I propose some new energy units — burritos, Mt. Rushmore, a New York Minute and the Moon Landing — our way of making energy consumption easier to understand. We thought you might want to explore these… Keep reading →
One of the formative moments in my career was participating in an Energy Department competition called FutureCar — known today as EcoCAR 3 — which challenges students to develop more fuel efficient and sustainable vehicles. Participating in that competition inspired me to pursue a career that addressed the toughest problems in sustainable transportation and clean… Keep reading →
Albert Einstein first predicted gravitational waves almost a century ago, but only since September 15, 2015, have scientists been able to observe them directly. According to Einstein, anything with mass exerts a gravitational pull on everything around it. When an object moves, this gravitational pull changes. If you could detect the gravitational tug from a bowling… Keep reading →
Virtually all electronics today rely on silicon computer chips, but this darling of the tech industry has drawbacks. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory may have found a pathway to a cheaper, lighter and more efficient replacement. Today, silicon computer chips are produced through a complicated, multi-step process that utilizes extremely harsh chemicals to etch… Keep reading →
WASHINGTON –The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced nearly $16 million in funding to help businesses move promising energy technologies from DOE’s National Laboratories to the marketplace. This first Department-wide round of funding through the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) will support 54 projects at 12 national labs involving 52 private-sector partners. The TCF is… Keep reading →
We have seen a resurgence in manufacturing in the last five years, due in large part to the President’s commitment to strengthening the economy and putting America back to work. Since February 2010, the U.S. manufacturing sector has added more than 800,000 jobs. Today, American manufacturing is more competitive than it has been in decades,… Keep reading →
Today, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz released the following statement regarding the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) moving their secretariat to the International Energy Agency (IEA) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE): “Early this month, energy ministers and other high-level delegates from 23 countries and the European Union met at CEM7 in San Francisco.… Keep reading →
