A federal fusion energy reactor has achieved a crucial goal for the first time: producing more energy than required to start the reaction in the first place, Department of Energy officials announced at a press conference Tuesday.
Why it matters: Scientists have worked for six decades to develop nuclear fusion as a source of effectively limitless clean energy. Ignition is a key milestone in harnessing nuclear fusion, but turning it into a commercial power supply would require clearing additional scientific, technical and financial hurdles.
The fuel efficiency for 2021 model year vehicles in the U.S. remained flat with the previous year, according to a new annual report released Monday by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Driving the news: According to the report, the real-world average attained by the new 2021 model year vehicles was 25.4 miles per gallon, the same as it was for new 2020 model year vehicles.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is expected to announce a major step forward in nuclear fusion energy on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Decades of effort have gone into fusion energy, which promises almost limitless carbon-free power — without the dangerous waste from traditional fission reactors.
The Biden administration is looking at funding roughly a dozen mineral projects overseas in a bid for more resources used in lower-carbon technologies.
Why it matters: Supporting more mining overseas could ease a raw material squeeze hurting electric vehicles, but it could also have a side effect: giving Biden’s foes fodder against him for rejecting mines at home.
