US Department of Energy

Now is the time, says a new report commissioned by the US Dept of Energy, for "urgent" government and private sector investment in a pilot fusion power plant on US soil by 2040. The report also lays out the key technical challenges that need solving.

The US Department of Energy is backing five projects to develop advanced reactor designs to be built in the United States by private industry. The US$30 million initial funding is expected to grow to US$600 million over seven years.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced and detailed a blueprint for a national quantum internet that would be super-fast and nigh on unhackable. The document describes four priority research areas, and five major milestones on the path.

Supercomputers will take a huge leap forward when the “exascale” era kicks off in 2021 with the launch of Aurora. But now it looks like that world-leading machine will be usurped before it’s even set up. The Frontier system has been announced, which will boast the power of over 1.5 exaflops.

The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has developed a compact antenna that can transmit radio signals underwater, and even through solid earth. The new 4-inch (10-cm) antenna exploits the piezoelectric effect to generate Very Low Frequency (VLF) waves that normally require antennae miles long.

Intel and the US Department of Energy will deliver the world’s first exascale supercomputer in 2021, boosting many different fields of research. Named Aurora, the new system will be a thousand times more powerful than the petascale generation that began in 2008 and is still in wide use today.

​Lightweight and shatterproof, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic is recyclable, although most items made from it don't get recycled. This is because reclaimed PET (rPET) just isn't as good as the original material. A new "upcycling" process, however, is claimed to make it even better.

The 2017 US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon has come to a close in Denver. This year's winning house blends green design with a plan to encourage the surrounding community to get together and discuss ways to use less energy.

Last year, ORNL scientists revealed they were working on ultrasonic clothes drying technology. At the time, they said they planned to implement the technology in a press dryer and a clothes dryer drum. A new video shows they've been true to their word.

​The Obama Administration has announced more details about the electric charging corridor, a program designed to accelerate adoption of electric cars by expanding the charging infrastructure. We now know the Department of Transportation will create 48 corridors running along 55 interstate highways.

Scientists are looking at how ultrasound can be used to dry laundry. They've already developed technology that they say could make clothes dryers 70 percent more energy-efficient than they are now. ​

The US government has announced “an unprecedented set of actions” to pump up the country’s plug-in electric vehicle market, including US$4.5 billion in loan guarantees to create a nationwide network of commercial scale and fast charging stations.