News

Merrill Matthews, from the Institute for Policy Innovation, wrote a column last week questioning support for renewable energy and energy efficiency. He claimed, “We apparently have no idea how much taxpayers and consumers, through higher energy bills, are spending to subsidize all of those green energy projects.”

Read more: Clean energy is a bargain for consumers

Experts present latest research on advances in materials for energy generation, storage & transport

Why do laptops get so hot? And what new materials are available to enhance the performance of computers and other devices by reducing the amount of heat they generate and getting rid of that heat more efficiently?

Those and other related questions were addressed in depth recently at a UT Austin symposium showcasing leading researchers’ work on the next generation of materials in energy generation, storage and transport.

Read more: Materials for Energy Generation, Storage & Transport

Experts Debate Possible Changes to Texas’ Electricity Market at Austin Electricity Conference

It’s one of the most common and predictable experiences in life – flip a switch and the lights come on. Every day, at work, at home – wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, we depend on electricity for virtually everything. But what if that seemingly boundless supply of energy wasn’t such a sure thing? And what’s the best way to make sure the lights will continue to come on when we flip that switch?

Read more: Meeting the Demand for Power

Measures of energy independence show it is increasing, not decreasing

In recent years, every time an election has rolled around, politicians have espoused the necessity of energy independence and energy security. According to them, if we are to achieve the necessary level of energy security we need to “drill, baby, drill,” develop “clean coal,” install new pipelines, develop renewable energy, make sure our cars get better gas mileage, or [fill in another sound bite of your choosing here]. A listener could easily conclude that the U.S. lacks energy security. But what do the numbers tell us about our current state of independence? And is the political sloganeering grounded in fact, or does it ignore how much our situation has changed already?  Read more