After 140 Years, Renewables Again Surpass Coal for US Energy Use
On the US's 250th anniversary, it's interesting to look back at how energy use has changed, both in growth and in fuel makeup, over the years. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67824
Who would have thought that the largest single-site solar park in the world would be in the oil-rich UAE?
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is said to be the largest single-site solar park in the world. It has a planned production capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030. When completed, it will save over 6.5 million tons of carbon emissions annually. https://www.mbrsic.ae/en/about/mohammed-bin-rashid-al-maktoum-solar-park/
Q&A with NOAA El Niño expert Michelle L'Heureux
Since ambient temperature affects both the demand for and the output of mechanical systems, conditions like this year's El Niño can be significant. https://www.climate.us/news-features/features/qa-noaa-el-nino-expert-michelle-lheureux
Ever hear of "floatovoltaics"?
Japan has been using floating PV farms for years. The technology provides many benefits relative to ground-mounted installations, for example: (1) Japan can expand its solar capacity without clearing forests or taking up valuable agricultural land; (2) the natural cooling effect of the water keeps the photovoltaic panels from overheating, which results in higher energy…
China addressing data center cooling needs by placing them in the ocean
Roughly 40 percent of the electricity consumed by an ordinary data center is for cooling. China is using an innovative approach, placing data centers in the ocean. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-powers-ai-boom-with-undersea-data-centers/
Georgia Tech Takes First Place at the EcoCAR EV Challenge
Competing against 15 other universities, Georgia Tech won first place in the recent EcoCAR EV Challenge. More than 250 undergraduate and graduate students from six of Georgia Tech’s colleges participated. Tech’s car delivered the competition’s most impressive acceleration, and—my personal favorite--the Georgia Tech team was the only group to successfully demonstrate automatic parking. https://news.gatech.edu/news/2026/05/29/georgia-tech-takes-first-place-ecocar-ev-challenge?fbclid=IwY2xjawSJNKdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFINFRaWmk2VVRRWXZMTVN3c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHofIt6xDmcx4nEGopGENLKhTFb9U_7rAwWotyiOdrgj8zYbuIeSBHGlmqRbw_aem_1IoouoqJBVL2e9zO8QZbLw