Energy

Low oil prices, more renewables, and finally some progress on energy and climate policy 

The nation’s wind farms perform at their best during the spring and their worst during the mid-to-late summer, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). This variability stems from the fact that wind patterns vary not only by region, but also by the time of the year. In turn, the amount of power generated by wind farms can change considerably from season to season.

A terrible earthquake, massive drought and nuclear power captured the imagination this year

Researchers designed a chip that transfers data not with electrons but with photons—resulting in a potential 10-fold boost in speed. Christopher Intagliata reports

The global warming potential of the gaseous fossil fuel may be consistently underestimated

Congress renewed tax credits for investing in wind and solar power, leading experts to predict more rapid growth

Methane cannot be seen by the eye, but a new infrared image shows it pouring from smokestacks

Ups and downs of Ebola vaccines, home-brewed heroin, better solar-cell material, why lobsters turn from blue to red, and the first new class of antibiotics in years top a banner year for chemistry

The Paris pact represents the first worldwide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in next decade

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

A multipurpose mirror sucks up heat and beams it into outer space