Hacker News with Generative AI: Energy

Octopus overtakes British Gas as Britain's largest household energy supplier (theguardian.com)
Octopus Energy has become Britain’s largest household energy supplier for the first time, toppling British Gas almost four decades after it was privatised under Margaret Thatcher.
Energy, United Kingdom, Business, Competition
8 points by doener 9 hours ago | 3 comments
Enterprises in for a shock when they realize power and cooling demands of AI (theregister.com)
Most businesses rushing to adopt AI are unprepared for the energy demands it'll place on their infrastructure, and few have a handle on the power consumption of AI systems or the implications for their datacenters.
AI, Energy, Data Centers, Business, Infrastructure
43 points by rntn 2 days ago | 63 comments
Lightcell: An engine that uses light to make electricity (lightcellenergy.com)
Renewable Energy, Energy, Technology
99 points by curl-up 4 days ago | 55 comments
Petrostate USA vs. Electrostate China: Who Will Win the Climate Race? [video] (youtube.com)
Climate Change, International Relations, Energy, Geopolitics, Technology
4 points by hunglee2 7 days ago | 0 comments
Two Nuclear Microreactors Reach Milestone (ieee.org)
Funding for two new microreactors could bring reliable nuclear power to remote locations. Westinghouse secured US $3 million for its eVinci microreactor, and Radiant Industries received $2 million for its Kaleidos microreactor, both in November from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Nuclear Energy, Energy, Microreactors
4 points by pseudolus 8 days ago | 0 comments
Why Did We Wait So Long for Wind Power? (construction-physics.com)
Since the early 2000s, wind power has been a substantial fraction of new electricity capacity in the US. In 2020 wind power was 42% of new electricity generation capacity, and in 2021 it was 32%.
Renewable Energy, Energy, Climate Change, Wind Power
28 points by chautumn 8 days ago | 10 comments
Toyota rethinks its bet on hydrogen (ft.com)
Toyota, Hydrogen, Automotive Industry, Energy
64 points by JumpCrisscross 8 days ago | 85 comments
China plans to build 'Three Gorges dam in space' to harness solar power (scmp.com)
A senior Chinese scientist has revealed an ambitious plan to use super heavy rockets to build solar power stations in space, calling it “another Three Gorges Dam project above the Earth”.
Space Exploration, Solar Power, China, Energy, Engineering
6 points by NoRagrets 8 days ago | 0 comments
World's largest pumped storage power plant fully operational in China (ess-news.com)
The Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station, the world’s largest facility of its kind, has commenced full operations with the commissioning of its final variable-speed unit on December 31.
Renewable Energy, China, Energy, Power Plants, Infrastructure
82 points by philipkglass 8 days ago | 86 comments
Canada aims to become biggest uranium producer as demand soars (ft.com)
Canada, Uranium, Energy, Global Economy
6 points by mpweiher 9 days ago | 1 comments
Constellation's Nuclear Plants to Provide Power for US Government Agencies (nucnet.org)
Power company Constellation, which operates the largest fleet of commercial nuclear power plants in the US, has been awarded more than $1bn (€970m) in combined contracts by the US General Services Administration (GSA) to supply power to more than 13 government agencies.
Energy, Government, Nuclear Power
20 points by mpweiher 12 days ago | 9 comments
The largest hydroelectric dam in the world has been approved (newatlas.com)
China has approved what is set to become the biggest hydropower dam complex in the world, capable of producing nearly three times as much power as the current record-holder, the Three Gorges Dam.
Hydroelectric Dams, China, Energy, Renewable Energy
31 points by thelastgallon 13 days ago | 68 comments
UK electricity cleanest ever in 2024, with record 58% from low-carbon sources (theguardian.com)
The UK’s electricity was the cleanest it has ever been in 2024, with wind and solar generation hitting all-time highs, according to a report.
Renewable Energy, Environment, United Kingdom, Climate Change, Energy
10 points by ksec 13 days ago | 4 comments
Why Fukushima made me stop worrying and love nuclear power (2011) (theguardian.com)
You will not be surprised to hear that the events in Japan have changed my view of nuclear power. You will be surprised to hear how they have changed it. As a result of the disaster at Fukushima, I am no longer nuclear-neutral. I now support the technology.
Nuclear Power, Japan, Fukushima Disaster, Energy, Opinion
4 points by mpweiher 16 days ago | 0 comments
Ukraine Forces a Halt to Flow of Natural Gas from Russia to Europe (nytimes.com)
The flow of natural gas through a major pipeline from Russia to Europe was cut off early Wednesday after Ukraine refused to renew an agreement that allowed for the transit of Russian gas through its territory, according to officials in both countries.
Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Energy, Politics
18 points by this_weekend 16 days ago | 4 comments
Power Demand at Data Centers Is Disrupting Harmonics in Nearby Electrical Grids (cleantechnica.com)
According to Bloomberg, the enormous demand for electricity by data centers is leading to a phenomenon known as bad harmonics.
Data Centers, Electricity, Grids, Energy
4 points by ryan_j_naughton 18 days ago | 0 comments
China to Build Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor in 2025 (ieee.org)
After a half-century hiatus, thorium has returned to the front lines of nuclear power research as a source of fuel. In 2025, China plans to start building a demonstration thorium-based molten-salt reactor in the Gobi Desert.
Nuclear Power, China, Thorium, Energy
148 points by rbanffy 18 days ago | 133 comments
Power company hid illegal crypto mine that may have caused outages (arstechnica.com)
Ahead of a major crackdown on illegal cryptocurrency mines in Russia next year, a power provider in Siberia has been fined for illegally leasing state land that's supposed to be used only for public utilities to an illegal mining operation.
Cryptocurrency, Russia, Energy, Crime
7 points by pseudolus 18 days ago | 2 comments
AI Needs So Much Power, It's Making Yours Worse (bloomberg.com)
Every day, Americans reach into their refrigerators or turn on their dishwashers without much thought given to the electricity flowing through their homes. But a hidden problem now threatens these seemingly mundane tasks: distorted power supplies.
Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Technology
20 points by arbuge 19 days ago | 11 comments
Plasma heating efficiency in fusion devices boosted by metal screens (phys.org)
Heating plasma to the ultra-high temperatures needed for fusion reactions requires more than turning the dial on a thermostat.
Fusion, Physics, Science, Energy
5 points by PaulHoule 20 days ago | 3 comments
China Hits EV Target 10 Years Early, Still Hasn't Reached 2020 Nuclear Target (cleantechnica.com)
On October 27th of 2020, the China Society of Automotive Engineers laid out a roadmap for how the country was going to achieve 50% of all cars sold in 2035 being fully electric, plug-in hybrid, or hydrogen, with 95% of them of course being fully electric. Per projections from HSBC, UBS, Morningstar, and Wood Mackenzie, that’s actually going to happen in 2025, a full decade early, with of course hydrogen cars at perhaps 0.02%, approaching zero.
China, Electric Vehicles, Energy, Predictions, Nuclear Power
8 points by xbmcuser 21 days ago | 4 comments
AI Needs So Much Power, It's Making Yours Worse (bloomberg.com)
AI data centers are multiplying across the US and sucking up huge amounts of power. New evidence shows they may also be distorting the normal flow of electricity for millions of Americans.
Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Technology, United States
9 points by belter 21 days ago | 0 comments
AI Needs So Much Energy It's Distorting US Power for Homes (bloomberg.com)
Every day, Americans reach into their refrigerators or turn on their dishwashers without much thought given to the electricity flowing through their homes. But a hidden problem now threatens these seemingly mundane tasks: distorted power supplies.
Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Technology, Environment
12 points by mfiguiere 21 days ago | 3 comments
Finland Boards Tanker After Power and Data Cables Go Offline (bloomberg.com)
Finnish authorities have boarded a foreign oil tanker escorted into its waters after disruptions on a subsea power link and several data cables.
Finland, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, Energy, International Relations
16 points by belter 22 days ago | 1 comments
Estlink cable disruption: Finnish Border Guard detains tanker linked to Russia (yle.fi)
An oil tanker that was sailing in the area when the Finland-Estonia electrical link was disrupted on Wednesday has been escorted and boarded by the Finnish Border Guard.
Finland, Estonia, Energy, Russia, Security
8 points by juki 22 days ago | 2 comments
Russia bans crypto mining in multiple regions, citing energy concerns (engadget.com)
The Russian government has banned crypto mining in ten regions for a period of six years, according to reporting by the state-owned news agency Tass.
Cryptocurrency, Russia, Energy, Government Regulation
10 points by cratermoon 23 days ago | 2 comments
China approves Tibet mega dam that could generate 3 times power of Three Gorges (scmp.com)
China has approved the construction of a colossal hydropower project on Tibet’s longest river that could generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.
China, Energy, Hydropower, Dam, Tibet
4 points by pseudolus 23 days ago | 0 comments
Solar, EVs and a Big Exit from Coal: 2024's Good Climate News (bloomberg.com)
Record solar installations, Norway’s electric vehicle revolution and a G7 member’s coal phase-out are just some of the good news stories for the planet this year.
Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Energy, Environment, Coal
16 points by toomuchtodo 24 days ago | 2 comments
France Links First New Nuclear Reactor to Grid Since 1999 (yahoo.com)
Electricite de France SA connected a new nuclear reactor to the French power grid for the first time in a quarter century on Saturday, adding low-carbon electricity supply at a time when a sputtering economy has made demand sluggish.
Nuclear Power, France, Energy, Economy
24 points by isaacfrond 26 days ago | 2 comments
France's most powerful nuclear reactor connected to grid after 17-year build (lemonde.fr)
France connected its most powerful nuclear power reactor to the national electricity grid on Saturday, December 21, in what leaders hailed as a landmark moment despite years of delays, budget overruns and technical setbacks.
Nuclear Energy, France, Energy, Infrastructure
44 points by toomuchtodo 26 days ago | 24 comments