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energy

Our coverage spans conventional power generation, renewables, nuclear, grids, storage, and emerging energy technologies.

3/20/2026
Lego to build massive 80-acre solar park for its $1.5b carbon-neutral US factory

Lego to build massive 80-acre solar park for its $1.5b carbon-neutral US factory

LEGO’s first U.S. factory in Virginia will feature a 22 MW solar array, rooftop panels, and a carbon-neutral design.

Aamir Khollam

5 hours ago

3/19/2026
Nuclear micro-batteries could power sensors nonstop in space and ocean missions

Nuclear micro-batteries could power sensors nonstop in space and ocean missions

A DARPA-funded project is developing nuclear-powered radiovoltaic batteries for long-duration missions.

Neetika Walter

12 hours ago

US scientists build battery that stores energy as heat at 4,350°F in carbon blocks

US scientists build battery that stores energy as heat at 4,350°F in carbon blocks

The battery achieves over 40 percent efficiency when converting heat back into electricity.

US: NANO’s advanced nuclear fuel transportation solution achieves design milestone

US: NANO’s advanced nuclear fuel transportation solution achieves design milestone

The project leverages NANO Nuclear’s exclusively licensed nuclear fuel transportation basket design.

New test shows 100% ammonia can power gas turbines without carbon emissions

New test shows 100% ammonia can power gas turbines without carbon emissions

GE Vernova says the project will play “a meaningful role in decarbonizing the energy sector”, as it will unlock key ammonia advantages.

Chris Young

17 hours ago

Researchers build hydrogen-powered drone to extend range for grid inspections

Researchers build hydrogen-powered drone to extend range for grid inspections

Hydrogen fuel cells solve the two biggest flaws of battery drones: excessive weight and short flight times.

3/18/2026
New process revives uranium purification at US nuclear facility after 20 years

New process revives uranium purification at US nuclear facility after 20 years

US resumes uranium purification with electrorefining, marking first new capability at Y-12 in decades

Laser-made silicon-graphene anodes retain 98% capacity after 2,000 cycles

Laser-made silicon-graphene anodes retain 98% capacity after 2,000 cycles

The anodes retain high capacity even after thousands of charge cycles.

New sodium-ion cathode resists air damage, keeps 80% capacity after 200 cycles

New sodium-ion cathode resists air damage, keeps 80% capacity after 200 cycles

New cathode design helps sodium-ion batteries resist air damage and improve long-term performance

US’ nuclear firm gets safety design approval for isotope reactor initiative 

US’ nuclear firm gets safety design approval for isotope reactor initiative 

Unlike traditional nuclear facilities focused on electricity generation, the Groves Isotopes Test Reactor is intended to produce vital radioisotopes.

World’s first quantum battery prototype built, charges faster as it gets larger

World’s first quantum battery prototype built, charges faster as it gets larger

The battery can only hold a billion electron-volts and that too for a a few nanoseconds.

Ameya Paleja

2 days ago

3/17/2026
Perovskite-silicon triple-junction solar cells achieve record-breaking 30% efficiency

Perovskite-silicon triple-junction solar cells achieve record-breaking 30% efficiency

EPFL and CSEM push perovskite-silicon triple-junction solar cells to 30.02% efficiency, beating the 27.1% record.

Aamir Khollam

2 days ago

Russia’s 1,250 MWe nuclear reactor unit with 100-year-lifespan reaches full power

Russia’s 1,250 MWe nuclear reactor unit with 100-year-lifespan reaches full power

The 0four units of nuclear reactor planned at the site are expected to be completed by 2034.

Ameya Paleja

3 days ago

World’s most powerful AI supercomputer dedicated to fusion energy begins work

World’s most powerful AI supercomputer dedicated to fusion energy begins work

The Sunrise system will use advanced AI simulations to model plasma behavior and test fusion reactor designs before real-world experiments.

Sujita Sinha

3 days ago

Largest-in-US: 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1 offshore project completes construction

Largest-in-US: 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1 offshore project completes construction

Revolution Wind (700-MW) became the nation’s third project to begin supplying power.

Mrigakshi Dixit

3 days ago

Nvidia expands AI push with new chips, data centers and space computing tech

Nvidia expands AI push with new chips, data centers and space computing tech

Nvidia launches Vera CPU and Rubin platform to scale agentic AI and power massive AI factory infrastructure.

Neetika Walter

3 days ago

3/16/2026
Donut Lab solid-state battery powers electric motorcycle 10% to 70% in 9 minutes

Donut Lab solid-state battery powers electric motorcycle 10% to 70% in 9 minutes

The battery pack maintained more than 100 kW charging power, reaching 50% charge in about five minutes.

Aamir Khollam

3 days ago

US aims to add 5 GW nuclear power from existing reactors as part of 400 GW goal

US aims to add 5 GW nuclear power from existing reactors as part of 400 GW goal

DOE’s UPRISE program aims to add 5 GW of nuclear capacity by 2029 and support a 400 GW national goal by 2050.

Kaif Shaikh

4 days ago

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About Energy

Energy sits underneath almost everything, industry, transport, computing, and cities, but is often discussed only when something breaks or gets expensive. This category examines how energy is produced, stored, moved, and used in the real world, and how those systems are changing under technical, economic, and political pressures.
Coverage at Interesting Engineering spans conventional power generation, renewables, nuclear, grids, storage, and emerging energy technologies. That includes solar and wind systems, batteries, hydrogen, carbon capture, advanced reactors, transmission infrastructure, and the software increasingly used to monitor and manage them. The focus isn't on abstract targets or idealized transitions, but on the engineering decisions that determine whether new systems are reliable, scalable, and affordable.
Energy systems are defined by constraints. Power density, intermittency, materials availability, land use, safety, and cost all shape what can be deployed and where. This category examines those trade-offs, along with the reasons many promising technologies struggle to move beyond pilots or subsidies. Grid integration, permitting delays, supply chains, and long build times, matters as much as technical performance.
We also look at how energy demand is shifting, driven by electrification, data centers, AI workloads, industrial decarbonization, and transportation. These pressures are forcing upgrades to aging infrastructure and raising questions about resilience, redundancy, and long-term planning. Reliability is as central as sustainability, especially as energy systems become more complex and more interconnected.
Energy also examines who builds these systems, who pays for them, and what determines whether new energy projects survive beyond early pilots.
Rather than framing energy as a single transition, this category treats it as a series of overlapping, uneven changes. It tracks what's being deployed now, what’s quietly failing, and what still requires significant engineering work before it can operate at scale. The emphasis is on systems that endure; not just technologies that look good on paper, but those that can deliver power consistently, safely, and economically over decades.