Energy

A fracking site is situated on the outskirts of town in the Permian Basin oil field in the town of Midland, Texas.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Obama Administration's Fracking Rules

10:12am June 22, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

A U.S. judge in Wyoming said the Bureau of Land Management can't regulate hydraulic fracturing — because more than a decade ago, Congress specifically excluded fracking from federal oversight.

California To Close State's Last Nuclear Power Plant

6:28pm June 21, 2016

by Lauren Sommer

California's last nuclear power plant will close by 2025 under a proposal announced Tuesday. Safety concerns are the main reason, but the Diablo Canyon plant produces enough power for 1.7 million homes. There's now a plan to replace the energy with renewables.

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One of the sites for the Department of Energy's Strategic Petroleum Reserve lies within salt caverns 2,000 feet below the ground near Freeport, Texas.

Low Oil Prices Fuel Reconsideration Of Petroleum Reserves

8:58am June 21, 2016

by Jeff Brady

The Department of Energy is considering the future of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Some argue it's no longer needed or should be smaller because U.S. oil production has increased.

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The Solar Impulse 2, piloted by Bertrand Piccard, takes off from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Monday, starting a four-day journey to Southern Spain.

A Trans-Atlantic Flight Without Fuel: Solar Impulse Leaves New York On Ambitious Trip

12:20pm June 20, 2016

by Bill Chappell

The Solar Impulse 2 plane is being flown across the Atlantic Ocean on a four-day trip to Spain. The solar-powered craft took off from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport early Monday.

On some sunny, spring days, California has more electricity than it can use, like from this solar farm in Fresno.

Who's In Charge? Getting Western States To Agree On Sharing Renewable Energy

7:15pm June 06, 2016

California has so much solar energy that some days, there's too much. One solution is to join forces across state borders. But in the West, that's sparking some not-so-neighborly opposition.

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A contractor prepares to cut off the top of a coal bed methane well near Gillette, Wyo., in 2015. It's one of thousands of abandoned, plugged wells sprinkled throughout Wyoming and Colorado.

Danger Below? New Properties Hide Abandoned Oil And Gas Wells

1:53pm May 30, 2016

by Stephanie Joyce

Around the country, houses, schools and shopping centers are being built on old oil and gas fields — and hidden underground are millions of abandoned wells that are not monitored for leaks.

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U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz takes part in a press conference at the end of the 2015 meeting of the International Energy Agency Governing Board on Nov. 18, 2015 in Paris.

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz Says Government Can Help Clean Energy Innovation

5:27pm May 29, 2016

As he prepares for a conference on implementing clean energy to combat climate change, energy secretary Ernest Moniz says he's confident the Obama administration's commitments will remain in place.

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Platform Check: How Trump's Energy Plan Stacks Up To The Democrats

5:16pm May 27, 2016

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Amy Myers Jaffe, executive director of energy and sustainability at the University of California, Davis, about the presidential candidates' energy strategies after Donald Trump rolled out his platform.

Politics & Government

Trump Wants To Make Energy Production Great Again — Even As It Sets Records

11:09am May 27, 2016

by Scott Detrow

Since 2012, the U.S. has produced more oil and gas than any other country even as solar and wind power have also experienced huge growth.

Solar Impulse 2, the solar airplane of Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and Ande Borschberg, in preparation for the take off from Tulsa International Airport, Oklahoma on Saturday.

Solar Airplane Attempting To Circumnavigate The Globe Takes Off From Tulsa, Okla.

2:14pm May 21, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Solar Impulse 2, the experimental plane attempting to fly around the world using only the sun's power, is heading toward Dayton, Ohio on the latest leg of its journey.