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Stanford Energy
@stanfordenergy.bsky.social
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Learn about energy-related news and events at Stanford. Brought to you by the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy's @markgolden1.bsky.social .
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stanfordenergy.bsky.social
A $7.5M solar field at Napa Valley College failed after its vendor went bankrupt. But today, panel costs are down 90% and the same site could make 3–4x more power. Stanford’s GSB and Precourt fellow Omer Karaduman says reviving it is a “no-brainer.”

Read: www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/13/n...
Napa Valley College’s $7.5 million solar field was once a model. Now it sits dead in the weeds
Once hailed as a national model for clean energy, the Napa Valley College solar field quietly shut down after 15 years. Records, interviews and missing data show how the project unraveled — and whe…
www.pressdemocrat.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:00 AM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Entrepreneurial timing — among other ingredients — in cleantech can make or break a venture, says Will Chueh, director of Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy, in the debut episode of Stanford's new Ecopreneurship Podcast.

Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5-_...
Batteries, AI, and Perfect Timing, with Mitra Chem’s Will Chueh & Vivas Kumar
YouTube video by Stanford Ecopreneurship
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:19 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Unexpected momentum ahead of COP30 next week:
• Renewables are now so cheap they're the logical choice for developing economies;
• Petroleum exporters are investing in clean energy;
• Small island states are stepping up.

Read the Q&A: woods.stanford.edu/news/who-lea...

#EnergyTransition
November 6, 2025 at 5:53 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Pushing iron to repeatedly donate five electrons instead of the usual two or three per atom in chemical reactions was thought impossible. Breakthrough could lead to higher voltage lithium-ion #batteries and magnetism devices.
news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...
#Batteries #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransit
Scientists unlock new energy potential in iron-based materials
Researchers have created a more energy dense storage material for iron-based batteries. The breakthrough could also improve applications in MRI technology and magnetic levitation.
news.stanford.edu
October 30, 2025 at 10:05 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
The Environmental Protection Agency "has gotten out of the environmental protection business, and they have started to abandon the tribes," Pilar Thomas, '83, said to a packed lawn of Stanford students Tuesday evening in a discussion on tribal energy policy.

Read: stanforddaily.com/2025/10/28/m...
October 30, 2025 at 9:01 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
New study shows where burying power lines could cut blackout hours the most. Undergrounding increases grid resilience, but remains expensive and unevenly implemented.

Read: sustainability.stanford.edu/news/slow-pr...
Slow progress on burying power lines leaves U.S. grid vulnerable to extreme weather
Analysis by Stanford researchers shows how strategic investment in undergrounding power lines could shave hours off some long lasting blackouts tied to extreme weather.
sustainability.stanford.edu
October 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Energy use is driving climate change, mainly from burning fossil fuels. Millions of people worldwide are experiencing the impacts. The good news: We have solutions.

Read October's Energy Spotlight from Stanford's Understand Energy Learning Hub: understand-energy.stanford.edu/news/underst...
Understand Climate Change
understand-energy.stanford.edu
October 28, 2025 at 8:07 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Flash-freezing reveals what’s really happening inside batteries

Stanford researchers found that standard tests were changing battery chemistry. Their new “cryo-XPS” method can preserve it, offering a clearer path to longer-lasting lithium metal batteries.

Read: news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...
New observation method improves outlook for lithium metal battery
Stanford researchers developed a flash-freezing observation method that reveals battery chemistry without altering it, providing new insights to enhance lithium metal batteries.
news.stanford.edu
October 23, 2025 at 7:02 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Southeast Asia’s $4T economy and 700M people remain underutilized on the global stage. In What It Takes: Southeast Asia, Gita Wirjawan argues that energy access, STEM education, and climate-friendly investment are key to the region’s rise.

Read here: fsi.stanford.edu/news/how-sou...
How Southeast Asia Can Move to Occupy a Lead Role on the World Stage
In his new book, What It Takes: Southeast Asia, Gita Wirjawan examines how Southeast Asia can unlock its untapped potential by leveraging its massive economic and human scale to claim its place on the...
fsi.stanford.edu
October 23, 2025 at 5:06 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Stanford and Technical University of Munich hosted the first Living Lab Summit, uniting 100+ participants from 10 countries to explore how campuses can test real-world sustainability solutions. Next stop: TUM in six months.

Read more here: stanforddaily.com/2025/10/08/l...
October 17, 2025 at 4:01 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Researchers solve model that can advance underground storage of #nuclear waste and CO2, enhanced #geothermal systems, conductivity of heat and electricity, and decarbonization of making #cement
Read at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability:
sustainability.stanford.edu/news/researc...
Researchers solve model that can improve sustainable design, groundwater management, nuclear waste storage, and more
Scientists can now accurately determine where randomly distributed components appear in concrete, soil, and other common materials using a statistical model. The findings could enable the design of be...
sustainability.stanford.edu
October 17, 2025 at 1:20 AM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Getting CO2 credits for farmers while improving their soil sounds like a wonderful combination.
Read @washingtonpost.com's feature about Stanford spinout Terradot:
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solu...
#climate #co2 #Brazil #Stanford #Terradot
Scientists seek to turbocharge a natural process that cools the Earth
Terradot, a carbon removal company, is using “enhanced rock weathering” to sequester carbon by spreading crushed volcanic rock over farmland.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 16, 2025 at 10:14 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City signed a memorandum of understanding this morning to partner in accelerating clean energy and sustainability across Southeast Asia.
#EnergyTransition #Vietnam #industry
October 16, 2025 at 9:02 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
How does a nation gain clean energy leadership? Stanford economist Shanjun Li reflects on lessons from China’s rise, and his own path from rural China to researching global energy transitions.

Read his story: sustainability.stanford.edu/news/uncover...
#EnergyTransition #ElectricVehicle
Uncovering policy lessons from the rise of clean energy industries in China
Stanford economist Shanjun Li models how policy choices in the U.S., China, and around the world shape the energy transition and give rise to clean energy leaders.
sustainability.stanford.edu
October 15, 2025 at 5:11 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Energy efficiency isn’t a constraint; it’s a source of profit and competitive advantage. Former Delta CEO Yancey Hai and Precourt scholar Amory Lovins show how integrative design and efficiency can cut emissions and increase profit and revenue.

Read: sustainability.stanford.edu/news/reduce-...
To reduce emissions while increasing profit, aim for efficiency
Delta Electronics leader Yancey Hai and energy efficiency expert Amory Lovins shared advice for companies, countries, and students in Stanford’s Big Ideas in Sustainability series.
sustainability.stanford.edu
October 14, 2025 at 10:41 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Stanford Energy news is out!

The Week That Was:
Energy #policy; MacArthur Fellow; #EV incentives; #Nuclear power

Plus, all your guide to all energy events @stanforduniversity.bsky.social in the week ahead...
mailchi.mp/stanford/941...
@stanforddoerr.bsky.social
@stanfordjournalism.bsky.social
October 11, 2025 at 12:26 AM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Tarpeh designs devices and membranes that sort molecules from waste mixtures based on their chemical properties. His projects include recovering ammonia from #wastewater for use as fertilizer and extracting lithium from spent #batteries for reuse.
engineering.stanford.edu/news/william...
#recycling
William Tarpeh receives MacArthur Fellowship
The chemical engineering professor was granted the award for his advances in recovering valuable materials from wastewater.
engineering.stanford.edu
October 9, 2025 at 10:51 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Annual US subsidies to #oil & #gas firms have risen from $5B to at least $12B following recent legislation. Meanwhile, the same firms eliminated 4.7k jobs in the first half of 2025, with big corp's. planning significantly more workforce cuts.
Read @ssir.org: ssir.org/articles/ent...
#government
The Oil and Gas Industry Is Costing American Taxpayers, Consumers, and Communities (SSIR)
Investing in people and places is an antidote to the climate crisis.
ssir.org
October 9, 2025 at 10:28 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
In 2024, renewables added 582 GW (91% of new power) while nuclear added as much as renewables added in two days. "Nuclear costs are huge and rising," write Stanford's Mark Jacobson, Amory Lovins, and co-authors.

Read the full opinion piece: www.newcivilengineer.com/opinion/a-go...
#nuclear
October 9, 2025 at 9:53 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
The $7,500 federal EV incentive expired Sept. 30, but California buyers can still save thousands by combining incentives from regional programs. Bay Area's Clean Cars for All offers up to $12K; PG&E adds more rebates.

Read more on Peninsula Press: peninsulapress.com/2025/10/07/f...
October 8, 2025 at 8:58 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Are small modular reactors about to take off, or stuck in the demonstration phase? 74 new projects worldwide, $15.4B in financing to date, but only 2 operating today.

Read more in September’s Energy Spotlight from the Understand Energy Learning Hub: understand-energy.stanford.edu/news/underst...
Construction of the ACP100 SMR demonstration project at the Changjiang site in China's Hainan province. Image: CGTN.
October 2, 2025 at 10:57 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Cleantech fails to scale because companies constantly redesign instead of standardizing. Repeating proven designs cuts costs and emissions dramatically.

Read The Stanford Daily article on key insights from the latest Energy Transition seminar: stanforddaily.com/2025/10/01/p...
Will Chueh and Andrey Shuvalov
October 1, 2025 at 10:40 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Three Stanford Energy postdocs are bringing science beyond the lab: Lev Tsypin taught biology at San Quentin Prison, Liat Adler introduced high schoolers to hornworts, and Yukio Cho writes to students through Science Penpals.

Read the story here: energypostdoc.stanford.edu/news/postdoc...
#STEM
October 1, 2025 at 5:03 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Most U.S. families could reduce #electricity bills by around 15% on average using #solar panels with battery storage. The combination could also help most homes affordably weather blackouts, @stanforduniversity.bsky.social study finds.

Read and watch:
abc7news.com/post/stanfor...
#batteries
Stanford study confirms savings, benefits for households that opt for solar
If it's in your home and runs on electricity, you'll probably find it in the Stanford Bits and Watts lab. And that includes solar panels to help power and test consumer appliances.
abc7news.com
September 29, 2025 at 10:06 PM
stanfordenergy.bsky.social
Wildfires threaten #utilities with bankruptcy-level liabilities, prompting Western states to reconsider when and how #electricity companies are responsible for #fire damages, according to new legislative changes.
Read the #Stanford analysis:
cepp.substack.com/p/utility-fi...
@woods.stanford.edu
The Laws that Hold Utilities Liable for Wildfires are Changing
As wildfire risk grows across the West, lawmakers are reconsidering when and how to make utilities pay for fire damages. Will changes to liability law prevent a crisis or create a new one?
cepp.substack.com
September 26, 2025 at 6:31 PM