Peter Behr is a senior energy reporter for Energywire covering power grid reliability, climate policy and cybersecurity. He also has covered shale gas development and nuclear power issues for E&E.
U.S. Nuclear Plants to Get New Safety Reviews in Wake of Fukushima Daiichi Crisis
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says that it considers the 104 U.S. nuclear plants to be secure, but the evidence from Japan's devastating reactor damage would be the basis for a new review
Fukushima Crisis Worsens as U.S. Warns of a Large Radiation Release
A top U.S. nuclear regulator has now given a dire assessment of Japan's nuclear crisis, saying that radiation from uncovered spent fuel at the Fukushima Daiichi plant could force emergency workers to abandon their fight to prevent meltdowns there
Will Fukushima Disaster Spell the End for a U.S. Nuclear Revival?
The full impact of the nuclear emergency in Japan will depend on how bad it gets
Molten Metal Batteries Return for Renewable Energy Storage
New ideas for making sodium sulfur batteries could make them the answer for taming the variability of wind and solar power
A Tale of Two U.S. Electric Car Companies
Can the U.S. grow a domestic electric car industry?
How to Turn a New Clean Energy Process into a Company
The art, luck and risks involved in turning a new process into a viable U.S. company
Can the U.S. Government Help Domestic Solar Companies Compete?
Companies are in the process of building a more competitive solar power industry, where the United States is a decided underdog. Can the government help?
U.S. Clean-Energy Tech Firms Face Difficult Choices between Collaboration and Competition
Many firms seek financial help from China, which is pushing hard on green energy technology and offering bigger subsidies than the U.S. government
M.I.T. Panel Says a Charging Infrastructure May Be a Bigger Roadblock for Electric Vehicles Than Technology
The infrastructure challenges include installing tens of millions of charging stations, strengthening the grid to handle electricity demand by plug-ins, and changing utility regulations to promote nighttime recharging
Building Better Grid Controls to Prevent Blackouts
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory seeks solutions in areas of climate policy, renewable energy integration and electric vehicles
Is the Nuclear "Renaissance" Failing?
If the "nuclear renaissance" is not dead, it appeared in a coma for most of the country following the collapse of Constellation Energy's plan to build a third reactor in Maryland
The Missing Link in Wider Adoption of Solar Power? Electricians
The biggest roadblock for the commercialization of solar power in the United States is not the technology but the mundane back-end issues of permitting and installation
How Long Can Nuclear Reactors Last?
What are the possibilities and challenges of further extending the useful life of U.S. nuclear reactors?
Do Smart Meters Mean Smart Electricity Use?
The campaign to conserve electricity in the home needs to pay more attention to consumers and not just fix on the gee-whiz technology of smart meters
How Texas Lassoed the Wind
Texas has harnessed the wind to provide at times more than 20 percent of its electricity. How did the Lone Star State do it?
Can Aging Nuclear Reactors Be Safe?
U.S. nuclear power plant owners are gaining regulatory approval to run aging reactors longer but, as the power plants age, the need for rigorous safety supervision steadily mounts
Will Politics Slow the Wind?
The growth of wind power may be curtailed by a growing coalition of naysayers, ranging from electric utilities to Senators
Carbon Cuts Require a Broad Array of Electricity Generation Technologies
With more wind power, new nuclear plants, carbon capture and storage, and increased efficiency, electricity industry group says significant greenhouse gas reductions possible
Why the Right to Emit Carbon Dioxide Is Given Away in U.S. Climate Change Bill
In order to win the support of legislators from heavy emitting states, allowances under the new American Clean Energy and Security Act had to be given away free
Will the U.S. Ever Need to Build Another Coal or Nuclear Power Plant?
The new chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission doesn't think so