About forty years ago, I decided I would develop artificial intelligence in my spare time. I knew about the Turing test, and I believed that a computer tricking people into thinking it was human did not indicate intelligence. There was a program called ELIZA that did that already, and it … [continued]
Scout Motors, the revived American brand now focused on off-road capable and affordable electric trucks and SUVs, has apparently produced its first validation build vehicles at its factory in South Carolina. This is a significant step forward toward mass production for the Volkswagen Group subsidiary. We’ve seen many EV startups … [continued]
Engineering maturity and construction sequencing at Darlington. Editorial illustration: TFIE Strategy Briefing.
Darlington’s SMR budget and schedule have broken before the design has stabilised. Ontario has cheaper clean energy procurement contracts, but must compare complete reliability portfolios.
A new IEA report finds renewables are already strengthening energy security and competitiveness while cutting fuel import costs—but faster electrification, grid modernization, and greater flexibility can extend these gains across the economy. Spain’s rapid expansion of renewable power has strengthened its energy security and competitiveness, but faster electrification across transport, … [continued]
The US startup SOLRITE is opening up a new energy storage opportunity for residential ratepayers to participate in money-saving VPPs, whether or not they have rooftop solar panels (cropped, courtesy of SOLRITE).
SOLRITE Unveils Next-Gen Virtual Power Plant Node with sonnen and ADAPT Energy, Integrating VPP Breakers to Turn Home Loads into Flexible Grid Assets ADAPT Energy’s control of VPP breakers will add dispatchable load flexibility to the SOLRITE sonnen VPP, while paving a simpler, faster, and lower-cost path to whole-home backup … [continued]
SpaceX is among the industrial-scale consumers of natural gas adding more pipes to the nation's sprawling network of gas pipelines, which the startup needs to ensure a steady supply of fuel for its growing fleet of rockets (courtesy of US Energy Information Agency).
SpaceX is among the industrial-scale consumers of natural gas adding more pipes to the nation’s sprawling network of gas pipelines, which the startup needs to ensure a steady supply of fuel for its growing fleet of rockets.
Roanoke City Schools to Add 313 kW Solar Power System Staunton, VA — Secure Solar Futures, a provider of on-site clean energy to schools, local governments, and businesses, will build a 313-kilowatt solar power system installed at Preston Park Elementary School in Roanoke, VA. Construction of the system is expected … [continued]
People across the United States voted in record numbers in last week’s incredibly consequential election, which has completely changed the makeup of Congress for its new term beginning in January 2027. The success of our electoral processes—still underway—should not be taken for granted. It’s a win for democracy when millions of … [continued]
Wow, this is a nasty, dirty, polluting stunner I didn’t see until just now. Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude, has reportedly signed a $3.4 billion contract to buy gas-fired engines (power plants) from OnePWR Solutions, a Texas-based energy company. These gas power plants would be able to provide Anthropic’s … [continued]
Mark Hellrich SM ’26, lead author of a new study on fabric molds for concrete, scans fabric-formed beams in the lab to compare their shape with the original computer design. Photo Credit: Emily Whiting
MIT engineers cast a concrete beam using a sewn fabric mold with one-third the amount of concrete and half as much steel as a conventional beam. Topology optimization is a computer design method that can help engineers design beams using reduced amounts of concrete and steel. But those intricate shapes … [continued]
