Electricity

Texas is a red state. It has voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1980. And yet, as a result of efforts by several past Republican governors, Texas is a national leader in renewable energy, with wind and solar providing over 30% of the state's electricity in 2023. The state produces more wind power than any other state and ranks second in solar capacity.

Data centers use vast amounts of water primarily for evaporative cooling, spraying it into the air or over coils to cool hot air generated by servers in order to keep the equipment from failing. The largest data centers can consume between 1 and 5 million gallons of water daily, with consumption rising during the summer.

The sources of U.S. electricity production have changed dramatically over the past 15 years and continue to change as the political winds blow in different directions.

Coal has historically been the largest source of global electricity generation. For the first half of the 20th century, more than half of the world’s electricity came from coal power plants. Until the 1950s, most of the rest came from hydroelectric plants. Nuclear power grew rapidly from the 1950s up until a decline that began at the turn of the new century. Natural gas assumed a growing role that has continued to increase since then. Only in the past two decades have renewables like solar and wind power become significant contributors.

Looking to build on efforts to reduce gas and electric bills, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is promoting a new plan she claims could save utility customers billions over the next 10 years.

Expensive electric bills during the winter are nothing new in the Northeast, but residents across Massachusetts say they’re really feeling the burn this season – all just to keep the heat going. It’s enough to get state and local officials to call out utility companies as well as regulators who approved some of the most recent rate hikes.

Orange & Rockland Utilities is blaming a power outage that affected more than 50,000 customers Saturday evening on an equipment malfunction at an O&R…

As a young medical student, Dr. David Casarett was inspired by the story of a two-year-old girl named Michelle Funk. Michelle fell into a creek and was…

At the time of the Declaration of Independence it wasn't known what electricity was. A fluid, perhaps? Or a fire?The 1st English edition of Franklin's…

Electricity prices should fall in western Massachusetts this summer. The region’s two major investor-owned electric utility companies have filed plans…