Biofuels are often brought up when discussing the use of renewable energies to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions. However, a very controversial aspect of biofuels is that the base materials for their production are often staple crops and woody plants. Growing staple crops for biofuels takes up existing arable land, and food prices may also experience sharp increases from time to time as biofuel producers compete with the general populace for the same agricultural commodities. ...  more

The Bureau of Land Management under the US Department of Interior has just released its environmental impact statement on the construction of the Gemini Solar and Energy Storage Project in the state of Nevada. ...  more

A research team from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (U of I) has developed a new type of solid electrolyte that can boost the overall durability and conductivity of lithium batteries and solve the battery's overheating problems. ...  more

The Philippsburg 2 nuclear reactor located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg was taken offline permanently as scheduled on the evening of December 31, 2019. This event affirms the current German government’s resolve to phase out the use of nuclear energy by 2022 and expand the contribution of renewable energies in domestic electricity production. ...  more

Tesla China has officially secured a loan of up to 10 billion RMB for five years from a banking consortium consisting of China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank; the loan will mainly be used for the expansion of the company's China operation and its Shanghai Gigafactory; it will also be used to repay its previous loan of 3.5 billion RMB. ...  more