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Energy

Wednesday

Wednesday

Power lines run near a bridge in Hamilton, Ontario, on Feb. 4. This week, Ontario's leader threatened a surcharge on Canadian electricity sold in some U.S. states in retaliation for President Trump's tariffs.

Power lines run near a bridge in Hamilton, Ontario, on Feb. 4. This week, Ontario's leader threatened a surcharge on Canadian electricity sold in some U.S. states in retaliation for President Trump's tariffs. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The U.S. buys electricity from Canada. Now it's a focus of the trade war

As a trade war grew this week, Ontario's leader threatened a surcharge on Canadian electricity sold in some U.S. states. The episode highlighted the U.S. reliance on imported Canadian power.

Canada's threat to hike electricity prices highlights U.S. reliance on imported power

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Friday

To ease the energy crisis, we're going to need better batteries

California Flats is a 2900 acre plot of land in central California that's covered in solar panels. The extra energy generated from all that solar flows straight into batteries right on site. Hearst Corporation, California Flats Solar-plus-Storage Project hide caption

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Hearst Corporation, California Flats Solar-plus-Storage Project

Short Wave

To ease the energy crisis, we're going to need better batteries

Batteries are everywhere. They're in our phones, our remote controls, smart-watches, electric cars and so much more. They could also be the solution to a problem that renewable energy companies have faced for years: How to store the mass amounts of energy they produce for later use. Some companies are using batteries to make renewable energy accessible 24/7. Today, we dig into how the technology is rapidly progressing with Cooper Katz McKim, a producer from fellow NPR podcast The Indicator from Planet Money.

To ease the energy crisis, we're going to need better batteries

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Tuesday

The view from Greenland: 'We don't want to be Americans'

Naaja Nathanielsen poses for a portrait in her office in Nuuk, Greenland on Feb. 20, 2025. Grace Widyatmadja/NPR hide caption

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Grace Widyatmadja/NPR

Consider This from NPR

The view from Greenland: 'We don't want to be Americans'

President Trump's calls for the U.S. to take over Greenland have sparked alarm and outrage.

The view from Greenland: 'We don't want to be Americans'

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Thursday

In Panama economic needs threaten to erase a way of life

Community leader, Digna Benite, calls her village of Limon de Chagres, a land made of love. Tomas Ayuso/NPR hide caption

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Tomas Ayuso/NPR

Consider This from NPR

In Panama economic needs threaten to erase a way of life

Panama has been looking for solutions to a long-term problem. Every time a ship passes through the Panama Canal, more than 50 million gallons of fresh water from Lake Gatun pour out into the ocean.

In Panama economic needs threaten to erase a way of life

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Thursday

Norway's Electric-Vehicle Milestone

A technician works on battery packs at Moller Mobility Group in Hvam, Norway, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. Norway is on the cusp of completing a transition away from combustion cars thanks to targeted incentives that made electrics an easy choice. Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

State of the World from NPR

Norway's Electric-Vehicle Milestone

9 out of ten cars sold in Norway are EV's. Government incentives and a commitment to charging stations have made Norway a world leader in electric vehicle use.

Norway's Electric-Vehicle Milestone

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Tuesday

In this photo, fruit is arranged on steps to create a fruit stand along a darkened street. The fruits include bananas, pineapples and mangoes.

A fruit stand is lit by a battery-powered lamp on a blackened street in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Ayman Oghanna for NPR hide caption

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Ayman Oghanna for NPR

World

Syria's new government is trying to rebuild. First it must keep the lights on

Syria's new de facto government faces a host of challenges. One of its most pressing is also one of its most basic: keeping the lights on.

KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON IN SYRIA

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Wednesday

Sunday

A contractor carries a solar panel on the roof of a home.

A contractor installs a solar panel on the roof of a home. Uncertainty over the future of a 30% federal tax credit has some homeowners rushing to get panels hooked to the grid before Trump becomes President. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Climate

People are rushing to install solar panels before Trump becomes president

Potential rooftop solar customers and installers worry the incoming Trump administration might try to eliminate a 30% federal tax credit. Some customers plan to install sooner because of that. And solar companies are changing their business plans.

People are rushing to install solar panels before Trump becomes President

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Thursday

A chimney and pipes of a power plant in Budapest, Hungary.

A chimney and pipes of the BKM Nonprofit Fotav Zrt power plant in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 3. The subzero temperatures coincide with the end of the Russia-Ukraine pipeline transit deal, leaving the region without a key source of gas supply. Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Getty Images

World

Here's what's behind Russia cutting off its last gas line to Europe

A decades-long Russian-Ukrainian transit gas deal to Europe ended on Jan. 1. For now, the most acute effects are being felt in a region called Transnistria, on the eastern edge of Moldova.

Here's what's behind Russia cutting off its last gas line to Europe

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Sunday

Friday

Customer meters, like these in Darby, Penn., are the largest source of methane leaks in gas utility systems, according to EPA data.

Gas utilities will have to check customer meters, like these in Darby, Pa., for leaks more frequently under proposed regulations from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Jeff Brady/NPR hide caption

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Jeff Brady/NPR

Life Kit

Climate-warming gas leaks must be fixed by utilities in a new proposed rule

Natural gas utilities likely will face stricter federal regulations for their climate-warming methane emissions. Among the biggest sources of leaks is the meter outside a gas customer's home.

Proposed rule requires utilities to find and fix more climate-warming leaks

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Tuesday

Big tech companies hope nuclear power can solve their energy problems. Will it?

Three Mile Island was closed because it wasn't economical to operate. Now Microsoft wants it restarted in the hopes it can one day supply carbon-free energy for its datacenters. Walter Bibikow/Getty Images hide caption

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Walter Bibikow/Getty Images

Short Wave

Big tech companies hope nuclear power can solve their energy problems. Will it?

AI uses a lot of power. Some of the next generation data centers may use as much power as one million U.S. households. Technology companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta hope nuclear power will offer a climate solution for this energy use. Nuclear power plants can deliver hundreds of megawatts of power without producing greenhouse gas emissions. But some long-time watchers of the nuclear industry are skeptical that it's the right investment for big tech companies to make.

Big tech companies hope nuclear power can solve their energy problems. Will it?

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Thursday

Ukraine Struggles to Keep the Power On Under Russian Bombardment

Workers at a Ukrainian thermal power plant are repairing the facility after rocket strikes to restore power as temperatures drop, Oct. 4. Simona Supino for NPR hide caption

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Simona Supino for NPR

State of the World from NPR

Ukraine Struggles to Keep the Power On Under Russian Bombardment

Russia continues to pound Ukraine with missile strikes, often targeting infrastructure like power plants. That has caused Ukrainians to endure power cuts even during the harsh winter. Our correspondent visits a power plant to see what it takes to keep the lights on in war.

Ukraine Struggles to Keep the Power On Under Russian Bombardment

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Monday

An oil pumpjack is seen near a field of wind turbines on Oct. 4, 2023, in Nolan, Texas. The U.S. oil industry is headed towards a record-breaking year; renewable energy has also set several records this year. Prominent Republicans, including several in President-elect Donald Trump's circle, are talking about an "all-of-the-above" approach to energy that supports fossil fuel and clean energy simultaneously.

An oil pumpjack is seen near a field of wind turbines in October 2023 in Nolan, Texas. The U.S. oil industry is headed towards a record-breaking year; renewable energy has also set several records this year. Prominent Republicans, including several in President-elect Donald Trump's circle, are talking about an "all-of-the-above" approach to energy that supports fossil fuel and clean energy. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

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Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Business

Under Trump, an 'all of the above' energy policy is poised for a comeback

Trump promised to "drill, baby, drill." What does that actually mean for the U.S. oil and gas industry – and other types of energy, too?