When I was a kid, my grandmother’s house in New Hampshire was always ready for the electricity to go down. The kitchen range was wood-fired, though there was a newer kerosene alternative (horrible). There were two sconces in every bathroom, each with an oil (kerosene) lamp. About half the house … [continued]
On a Christmas morning in the early 1990s, in a small town north of Barcelona, a young Violeta Sanchez i Nogue’s interest in chemistry was born. She unwrapped a junior chemistry lab kit that would ignite a love of science and lead to a successful career as a senior researcher at NREL. … [continued]
A very valuable classic car gasses up with “solar gasoline,” demonstrating that advanced renewable fuels can replace conventional gas on a drop-in basis.
ChatGPT generated this panoramic caricature of the aviation vs. shipping fuel tug-of-war, with an angry airplane and cargo ship battling over barrels of vegetable oil and biomethanol
For the past week I’ve been working with a team of deep and broad experts in decarbonization in the Netherlands. The transmission system operator TenneT invited me and other experts to assist them with their Target scenario for 2050 to enable them to plan for transmission upgrades and space requirements … [continued]
ChatGPT-generated image of a modern biomass-to-biomethane facility, where organic waste is processed into renewable gas for negative-emission steelmaking pathways
Recent adjustments to my projections for global steel demand through 2100, reflecting a significant slowdown in Chinese infrastructure and cement consumption, have sharpened my economic focus on competing new steelmaking technologies. With lower growth trajectories for steel firmly established, every ton produced in the coming decades will increasingly face stringent … [continued]
ChatGPT generated this panoramic image of a modern biomethane production facility, illustrating the infrastructure needed to scale up electrified biomethane DRI steelmaking
This week, I had the opportunity to participate in TenneT’s scenario planning for its ambitious 2050 Target Grid project. The session was notable for including Professor Heleen de Coninck, one of the Netherlands’ experts on industrial decarbonization and climate change. Her involvement emphasized the critical importance of identifying scalable pathways … [continued]
A new milestone in decentralized renewable energy is taking shape in the Swiss Alps. The alpine cleantech company SYNCRAFT has begun construction of a high-altitude climate positive power plant in the world famous Engadine region, located at over 1,600 meters above sea level. The Engadine valley is where winter sports … [continued]
In 2024, the United States produced a record amount of energy, according to data in our Monthly Energy Review. U.S. total energy production was more than 103 quadrillion British thermal units in 2024, a 1% increase from the previous record set in 2023. Several energy sources—natural gas, crude oil, natural gas plant liquids, biofuels, solar, … [continued]
ChatGPT generated this panoramic image of expansive Canadian wind and solar farms, illustrating large-scale renewable energy integration across diverse landscapes
Canada stands at a crossroads in its energy future, and the path it chooses will define its economic resilience, environmental integrity, and quality of life for generations. As a Canadian who is involved in shaping Ireland’s 2050 energy roadmap through my work with Trifecta Ireland, I see an immense opportunity … [continued]
ChatGPT generated this panoramic image of wind turbines and solar panels spanning a rural Indian landscape, complete with a traditional temple to signify its location
India’s energy landscape is at a pivotal crossroads, exemplified by the notable recent decline in coal- and gas-fired power generation, which in May 2025 marked the steepest year-over-year drop since COVID-19. The rapid contraction in coal usage, attributed to an amalgamation of economic slowdowns, surging renewable deployment, and increasingly cost-competitive … [continued]
