Alternative Energy Technology

The fusion energy start-up Commonwealth Fusion Systems aims to bring its first power plant online by the early 2030s, but daunting technical hurdles remain

A British start-up recently pulled off a key maneuver for electric vertical flight—but certification, infrastructure and demand will decide whether air taxis fill our skies

Deep-sea rocks packed with valuable metals may also be making oxygen in the deep, dark ocean—raising new questions about the cost of mining them.

Breakthroughs from two rival experiments, Germany’s Wendelstein 7-X and the Joint European Torus, suggest the elusive dream of controlled nuclear fusion may be within reach

The U.S. leads the world in fusion energy research. It can’t squander that lead like it did with microchips

Artificial Intelligence uses too much energy. Developers need to find better ways to power it or risk adding to the climate crisis

Reviving nuclear power plants to power AI threatens an avalanche of nuclear waste

The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, owes his superstar success to self-satisfied competitors who blew obvious opportunities

California has hit record-breaking milestones in renewable electricity generation, showing that wind, water and solar are ready to cover our electricity needs

A brief portion of the December 9 conversation during the climate talks in France between Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and Scientific American’s David Biello

James Hansen and other climate scientists argue for more reactors to cut coal consumption

At U.N. climate change summit, philanthropist touts informal club of 28 private investors who will pump money into R&D