Energy news, features and articles

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(Image credit: Abstract Aerial Art via Getty Images)

Energy drives everything — from the evolution of life to the ding notification in our smartphones — and with humanity facing a climate crisis from the way we use it, understanding energy has never been more important. At Live Science, our expert writers and editors bring you facts about crude oil and other fossil fuels that are harming the planet, guide you through the renewable energy sources that may replace them, and cover groundbreaking energy research — be it nuclear fusion or an enzyme that can turn air into energy — to ensure you get the best energy news, features and articles.

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Latest about Energy

A jar of mayo in front of a burning sun

Physicists solve nuclear fusion mystery with mayonnaise

By Tia Ghose published

The same physics that underlie mayonnaise could help physicists corral the ultrahot plasma needed to produce nuclear fusion.

Nuclear Energy
Inside the JET tokamak

Nuclear fusion reactor in UK sets new world record for energy output

By Joanna Thompson published

The JET nuclear fusion reactor in the UK has set a new world record for total energy output. However, the reactor's record-smashing test will be its last.

Nuclear Energy
Researchers walk down the tunnel of a chromium mine in Albania.

Massive hydrogen reservoir discovered beneath an Albanian mine could be an untapped source of clean energy

By Sascha Pare published

A portion of ancient oceanic crust that sits atop Albania and hosts one of the largest chromium mines on Earth also contains a huge hydrogen reservoir, offering a potential source of clean energy.

Energy
The nuclear bomb attack against Nagasaki, Japan on Aug. 8, 1945.

What is fission?

By Nola Taylor Redd, Tia Ghose last updated

Fission is the process by which an atom splits into two, generating two smaller atoms and a tremendous amount of energy. Fission powers nuclear bombs and power plants.

Nuclear Energy
Wind turbines generate electricity at the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm near Palm Springs, California.

Wind and solar power overtakes coal for the first time ever in the US

By Ben Turner published

Wind and solar power produced a combined 252 terawatt-hours in the first five months of 2023, compared with coal's output of 249 TWh

Renewable Energy
The damaged Chernobyl nuclear power plant: a group of ruined and damaged gray, green and white buildings

Chernobyl: The world's worst nuclear disaster

By Marc Lallanilla published

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosion resulted in the most horrific nuclear disaster in the world.

Nuclear Energy
Person wearing a yellow biohazard suit in a decontamination shower against an industrial background.

How do you decontaminate objects exposed to radioactivity?

By Joanna Thompson published

Can a person or object exposed to high radioactivity just take a shower with soap and water, or is more needed for decontamination?

Nuclear Energy
A scanning electron microscope image of a bacterium that can use atmospheric hydrogen to generate an electrical current.

Scientists discover enzyme that can turn air into energy, unlocking potential new energy source

By Ben Turner published

A relative of the tuberculosis bacterium has long been known to convert hydrogen from the air into electricity. Now, scientists have discovered how.

Energy
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare — as seen in the bright flash on the top right — on Oct. 2, 2022. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in orange.

What is nuclear fusion?

By Nola Taylor Redd, Tia Ghose published

Nuclear fusion is the merging of two light atomic nuclei into one heavier one. If it can be harnessed on Earth, it could generate clean, limitless energy.

Nuclear Energy
SSAB HYBRIT steel plant

Steelmaking doesn’t need to come with CO2 emissions anymore, and SSAB has the technology

By Sponsored published

SSAB’s new steel-making process avoids fossils entirely, largely eliminating carbon emissions and producing water as a byproduct that it has bottled up to highlight its clean process.

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