Energy

To help speed decarbonization, state regulators should plan around a unified energy sector, according to a new Stanford-led report. Without coordinated action, the energy transition could become slower, more expensive, and more inequitable, the authors warn.

As power grids rely more on renewable energy sources like wind and solar, balancing energy supply and demand becomes more challenging. A new analysis shows how water systems, such as desalination plants and wastewater treatment facilities, could help enhance grid stability and create new revenue streams.

The culprit behind the degradation of lithium-ion batteries over time is not lithium, but hydrogen atoms emerging from the electrolyte, a new study finds. This discovery could improve the performance and life expectancy of a range of rechargeable batteries.

Stanford, SLAC, and 13 other research institutions, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, seek to overcome the major limitations of a battery using water as the primary component of its electrolyte.

Charging lithium-ion batteries at high currents just before they leave the factory is 30 times faster and increases battery lifespans by 50%, according to a study at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center.

A new method for extracting lithium from briny water offers a more efficient, cost-effective, and environmental alternative to traditional lithium production. It could also help solve lithium supply chain issues.

Heat waves, droughts, and fires place growing stress on the West’s electric grid. Stanford research suggests that more integrated management of electricity resources across the region could significantly reduce the risk of power outages and accelerate the transition to clean energy.

Researchers have developed a new thermochemical reactor that can generate the immense heat needed for industrial processes using electricity instead of fossil fuels.

Supported by an Innovation Transfer Grant from the TomKat Center, Fleet Logistics Intelligence Platform, or FLIP, is predicting the road ahead for vehicle fleets with machine learning.

U.S. Department of Energy has funded an initiative – built on Stanford Uncommon Dialogue – that seeks greater consensus among solar companies, conservation groups, agricultural interests, tribal nations and others in developing large-scale solar projects.

The study simulated the economic, environmental, and climate impacts of new hydropower projects using computer models, seeking optimal outcomes across sectors.

A new white paper from Stanford researchers analyzes Western investor-owned utilities’ wildfire mitigation plans, highlighting those that are leading the way and identifying steps utilities with exposure to wildfire risk should be taking.

A new study of air pollution in U.S. homes reveals how much gas and propane stoves increase people’s exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant linked to childhood asthma. Even in bedrooms far from kitchens, concentrations frequently exceed health limits while stoves are on and for hours after burners and ovens are turned off.

The Stanford Forum on the Science of Energy Transition brought together scientific experts, technology innovators, and industry leaders to explore practical pathways to a decarbonized future.

Yi Cui is harnessing the power of nanoscience to grow extremely small structures—which play a huge role in the clean energy transition.

 A new study finds that factory and warehouse rooftops offer a big untapped opportunity to help disadvantaged communities bridge the solar energy divide.

The massive reactors churning industrial chemicals today are fired by fossil fuels. A new approach that has received a Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Accelerator grant would use electromagnetic induction to heat with clean, renewable electricity.

Stanford-led research shows methane emissions from a large share of U.S. oil and gas facilities are three times higher on average than the level predicted by official government estimates.

Difficulties in connecting charging sites to the grid pose the biggest delays in bringing publicly accessible EV charging stations online.

Stanford researchers have discovered that the cycle life of a lithium metal battery can be improved simply by letting it rest for several hours in the discharged state.