Energy

Biden's Climate Plan, Part Of The Budget Package, Is Stalled In Congress

6:31am September 30, 2021

Environmentalists are optimistic a $150 billion plan to make the electricity grid more climate friendly will pass in Congress. Some utility companies say the cleaner energy goals are too aggressive.

Transmission Lines Are Vital In The Shift To Clean Energy. But They're A Hard Sell

4:55pm September 29, 2021

by Rachel McDevitt

Shifting to clean electricity will require many more major transmission lines, something residents of some areas may not want. The infrastructure bill in Congress could make the lines easier to build.

Oil Topped $80 Dollars Per Barrel — The Most It's Cost In Almost 3 Years

4:50pm September 28, 2021

by Camila Domonoske

Energy prices are going up — for things like coal, natural gas and crude oil. On Tuesday, global crude oil prices topped $80 a barrel for the first time in nearly three years.

Wilma Banks, who lives in the neighborhood of New Orleans East, sits on her bed next to her nebulizer and CPAP machine. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, when much of New Orleans was left without power, she wasn't able to power up the medical devices and

Entergy Resisted Upgrading New Orleans' Power Grid. Residents Paid The Price

8:28pm September 22, 2021

Entergy failed to rebuild a stronger system after hurricanes repeatedly damaged its electric grid. Then Hurricane Ida knocked out power for more than a week in the middle of a heat wave.

New Orleans City Council Launches Investigation Into Mass Power Failure During Ida

5:08pm September 22, 2021

by Tegan Wendland

The New Orleans City Council is grilling power company Entergy about the catastrophic failure of its grid after Hurricane Ida. Mass power outages contributed to at least 11 deaths related to heat.

National

After Hurricane Ida Failures, Calls Grow For A Probe Into New Orleans' Power Company

8:12am September 22, 2021

by Tegan Wendland

Utility company Entergy failed to provide power for a million people after Hurricane Ida ripped through New Orleans. A new NPR-ProPublica joint investigation examines why.

National

A Colorado Coal Plant Could Help Solve Renewable Energy's Storage Problem

6:30am September 22, 2021

by Sam Brasch

As coal plants shut down, many places face the loss of jobs and taxes. But in Colorado, one town hopes to transform a coal plant into a new kind of renewable energy storage.

A patchwork of national and state regulations require utilities to trim around their power lines. More than a dozen of the country's largest utilities told NPR that falling trees and branches represent a leading cause of outages.

Climate Change Is Killing Trees And Causing Power Outages

1:13pm September 21, 2021

by Julia Simon

Fungi, parasites, root rot: Climate change is increasing the risk of trees weakening and dying. Falling trees have increased power outages nationwide, which threaten public health and safety.

A Hotter Climate Means Falling Trees — And More Power Outages

5:53pm September 20, 2021

by Julia Simon

Power outages are a growing problem in a hotter climate, and it's not just from bigger storms. Rising temperatures are also damaging trees, making them more likely to fall on power lines.

E-Bikes Take The Stage At German Car Show

4:59pm September 17, 2021

In Germany, car companies are showing off their latest electric vehicles. But in areas of Europe, some cars won't be allowed on the street soon. So some car companies are putting e-bikes on display.