Department of Energy

Former Texas governor Rick Perry had his confirmation hearing Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of energy. He said he no longer wants to get rid of the agency.

Politics & Government

Rick Perry, Energy Nominee, Says He No Longer Wants To Dissolve Agency

11:34pm January 19, 2017

by Jeff Brady

The former Texas governor once said he would abolish the Department of Energy. Now, as Trump's pick for the agency head, he said said his view on that — and global warming — have changed.

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NuScale power wants to build modular nuclear reactors small enough to fit on the back of a truck.

Miniaturized Nuclear Power Plant? U.S. Reviewing Proposed Design

3:05pm January 13, 2017

by Geoff Brumfiel

A company has submitted a design for what it describes as a "modular" nuclear power plant — a radical departure from other nuclear plants. Each module would be small enough to fit on a flat-bed truck.

Scientists rally in conjunction with the American Geophysical Union's fall meeting Tuesday in San Francisco.

Department Of Energy Defies Trump, Won't Name Climate Change Workers

5:50pm December 13, 2016

by Jason Slotkin

A DOE statement Tuesday said questions about who has worked on climate science had "unsettled" staffers and contractors alike. Many saw the questionnaire as a precursor to a purge.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry leaves after a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower on Monday in New York City.

Reports: Donald Trump Taps Rick Perry To Head Agency He Once Forgot

4:14pm December 13, 2016

by Scott Detrow

The president-elect has tapped Rick Perry to run the Department of Energy, multiple outlets are reporting. It's the agency Perry couldn't remember in his famous "Oops" moment.

Donald Trump's transition team circulated a survey asking for names of Department of Energy employees who attended climate change conferences. Legal experts question the new administration's motives.

Trump Questionnaire Raises Concerns About Retaliation Against Energy Department Staff

6:44pm December 10, 2016

by Brakkton Booker

A 74-point questionnaire asks for a list of employees who attended conferences on climate change. Legal experts worry if it's an effort to weed out agency environmentalists.

A participant visits the Africa pavilion Nov. 9 at a UN climate conference, in Marrakech, Morocco. President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has asked the Department of Energy to provide the names of all employees who attended such conferences.

Trump Transition Asks Energy Dept. Which Employees Work On Climate Change

11:24pm December 09, 2016

by Christopher Dean Hopkins

The president-elect's team has sent 74 questions to the federal agency, including many about climate-change-focused personnel and programs. The department's lawyers are examining the request.

A waxing crescent moon is seen behind a streetlight with a newly installed LED fixture in 2011 in Las Vegas. The city was replacing 6,600 existing lights with the energy-efficient LEDs. It has since replaced tens of thousands more.

Bright, Bluish-White LED Streetlamps Disrupt Sleep Cycles, AMA Says

12:46pm June 21, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The American Medical Association says some energy-efficient streetlamps interfere with circadian rhythms and also cause glare. It recommends that towns choose less intense, warmer-colored lights.

Beacon Power President and CEO Barry Brits, at the company's plant in Hazle Township, Pa. He says a loan from the Department of Energy made it possible for his company to develop its flywheel energy storage technology.

After Solyndra Loss, U.S. Energy Loan Program Turning A Profit

11:53pm November 20, 2014

by Jeff Brady

The federal government lost hundreds of millions of dollars when solar panel maker Solyndra and car company Fisker went bankrupt. Now the loan program has made up for early losses and is in the black.

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