02
The best portable power stations in 2026
The best portable power station for most people is the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus. Compare 7 picks for home backup and camping, with specs and 2026 prices.
The best home battery backup systems in 2026, and what they cost
A home battery backup costs $15,650 installed on average in 2026. Compare Tesla Powerwall 3, FranklinWH, Enphase, Generac and EcoFlow plug-in kits.
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03
Geothermal Heat Pumps for Homes: How They Work and What They Cost
A geothermal heat pump doesn't tap into volcanic heat. It works because the ground a few feet down holds a steady temperature year-round, and installed systems for a typical home run $15,000 to $40,000.
04
How geothermal energy works, and why EGS is finally taking off
A geothermal power plant makes electricity by pulling heat out of the ground and using it to spin a turbine, the same basic principle behind a coal or gas plant, minus the fuel and the smokestack.
05
Ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel: how biofuels differ
Ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel are three different products made three different ways. Ethanol comes from fermenting starch or sugar. Biodiesel comes from a chemical swap called transesterification, and renewable diesel comes from a refinery process called hydrotreating that produces a fuel nearly identical to petroleum diesel.
06
Is Biomass Carbon Neutral? It Depends on the Wood
Biomass energy can be carbon neutral, or it can be worse than coal. Which one you get depends mostly on what you're burning and how long you're willing to wait for the atmosphere to break even.
Knowledge for the work ahead.
Guides, explainers & field experience
01
What happened at Fukushima Daiichi, explained simply
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off Japan's coast triggered a tsunami that knocked out power and cooling at Fukushima Daiichi, and the fuel in three reactors melted down within days.
02
What Germany’s nuclear phase-out did to emissions and coal
Germany shut down its last three nuclear reactors on April 15, 2023, and for most of the decade after Fukushima, the power nuclear used to supply went mostly to coal, not to wind and solar.
Dispatches from the shift
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01
Is Nuclear Power Safe? What the Death-Rate Data Shows
Measured by deaths per unit of electricity produced, nuclear power is one of the safest sources there is, well below coal, oil, gas, and large hydropower. That holds even with Chernobyl and Fukushima counted in.
02
Exelon Eyes a Return to Owning Power Plants and a Fight Over Rising Bills
In Philadelphia rowhomes and Baltimore apartments, the pain of summer electricity bills is still fresh. For many families, the spikes weren’t just…
03
Wind Turbine Efficiency: What Really Makes the Difference
In the wind energy world, there’s a saying: “Anyone can build a turbine. Not everyone can make it sing.” Back in 2011,…