Energy

Solar Impulse 2, the solar powered plane, flies above Giza Pyramids as it finishes its penultimate flight, landing in Egypt on Wednesday.

World News

PHOTOS: Experimental Solar Plane Flies Over Egypt's Giza Pyramids

2:26pm July 13, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Egypt is the last stop before Solar Impulse 2 finishes its round-the-world journey in the United Arab Emirates. The team is aiming to raise awareness about clean energy.

A new study finds people who are well-hydrated have lower body weights and lower odds of obesity.

Thirsty? New Study Links Good Hydration To Slimmer Waistlines

6:19pm July 12, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

A new study finds people who are well-hydrated have lower body weights and lower odds of obesity. It adds evidence to the theory that drinking lots of water may help in weight management.

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Not In My Landfill: Georgia Residents Fight Plan To Store Toxic Coal Ash

4:26pm July 12, 2016

by Molly Samuel

In 2014, after disastrous spills and opposition from environmentalists, the Environmental Protection Agency imposed new rules on the storage of coal ash. Now utilities are planning to close down the ponds that hold the toxic ash, but it has to go somewhere. Environmentalists say the safest place for it is in securely lined landfills, such as the municipal landfill in Wayne County, Ga. Locals are fighting the plan, but there's not much they can do.

Logger Greg Hemmerich and his crew feed low-value trees into a wood chipper, before bringing the chips to ReEnergy Holdings' biomass plant in Lyonsdale, N.Y.

Is Burning Trees Still Green? Some Experts Now Question Biomass

12:43pm July 12, 2016

by David Sommerstein

Biomass was rising a decade ago as a carbon-neutral energy. But the industry is sputtering as oil and natural gas booms, and some scientists are questioning if it's actually good for the environment.

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Science

North Carolina A&T Researchers Develop Building Material From Coal Ash

2:21pm July 11, 2016

by Bethany Chafin

Researchers at North Carolina A&T have developed a new way to deal with coal ash. The discovery could turn the waste into something useful and economical.

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'The New York Times' Investigates An Ailing Clean Coal Project

6:38pm July 05, 2016

The Kemper Project is an electrical generating station currently under construction in Kemper County, Miss. The plant has been held up as a model of the Obama administration's efforts to promote new, clean energy technologies, but the project is two years behind schedule, still not operational, and more than $4 billion over budget. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Ian Urbina of The New York Times about the Kemper Project and the administration's clean energy policy.

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Herman "Dub" Tolbert, shown inside an American Legion post in Bokoshe, Okla., says the community is left exposed and he's determined to make regulators listen.

Communities Uneasy As Utilities Look For Places To Store Coal Ash

5:18pm July 05, 2016

In 2014, after disastrous spills and opposition from environmentalists, the EPA imposed new rules on the storage of coal ash. Two towns are pushing back against different ways of storing the ash.

Eric Frumin (right) stands in front of his solar panels on the roof of his Brooklyn home alongside architect David Cunningham (left) and AeonSolar's Allen Frishman (center).

How Blockchain Helps Brooklyn Dwellers Use Neighbors' Solar Energy

10:55am July 04, 2016

by Grégoire Molle

A project called TransActive Grid is testing a new way to trade solar power among neighbors. For now only credits are being traded — not actual energy — using the technology that underpins bitcoin.

A solar-powered cellphone charger is part of a new program called "Kazi na Zola," which provides devices that can help small businesses — say, a barbershop — earn more revenue.

Health & Safety

This $6-A-Month Plan Brings Solar Power To People Living Off The Grid

2:13pm June 24, 2016

by Malaka Gharib

That's the price for a solar energy package from Off-Grid Electric, who's lit up the homes of 100,000 people without electricity in Tanzania.

Solar Impulse 2, piloted by Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard, prepares to land in Seville, Spain, on Thursday.

'Beautiful Flight' Across The Atlantic Is Major Milestone For Solar Plane

5:07pm June 23, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

After 71 hours and 8 minutes of flight time crossing the Atlantic, Solar Impulse 2 touched down in Spain. It's a big step toward the goal of circumnavigating the globe using only the sun's power.

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