Emily Waltz
@emwaltz.bsky.social
Power & energy editor at IEEE Spectrum: spectrum.ieee.org
20-year veteran science and tech reporter. Former writer for the Nature journals. New to BlueSky.
20-year veteran science and tech reporter. Former writer for the Nature journals. New to BlueSky.
Tonight at 5pm EST! Nuclear battery expert Jake Blanchard will make himself available for an Ask-Me-Anything session on Reddit. Bring your questions! Like: Can we power our phones with nuclear batteries so that we never have to charge them? @spectrum.ieee.org www.reddit.com/r/nuclear/co...
September 5, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Tonight at 5pm EST! Nuclear battery expert Jake Blanchard will make himself available for an Ask-Me-Anything session on Reddit. Bring your questions! Like: Can we power our phones with nuclear batteries so that we never have to charge them? @spectrum.ieee.org www.reddit.com/r/nuclear/co...
A raft of companies are developing nuclear batteries that can power devices for decades. Is that a good thing? Will anyone want to buy them? And will anyone be paying attention to where this radioactive waste ends up in 50 or 100 years?
@spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/nuclear-batt...
@spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/nuclear-batt...
Nuclear Batteries Can Power Devices for Decades. Is That a Good Thing?
Nuclear batteries that last decades are being developed to power drones, sensors, remote devices and medical implants. Energy storage at its extreme.
spectrum.ieee.org
August 25, 2025 at 3:03 PM
A raft of companies are developing nuclear batteries that can power devices for decades. Is that a good thing? Will anyone want to buy them? And will anyone be paying attention to where this radioactive waste ends up in 50 or 100 years?
@spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/nuclear-batt...
@spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/nuclear-batt...
Cuba's power grid is nearing total failure; how did it get this bad? Cuban economist Ricardo Torres explains in @spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/cuba-energy-...
Can Cuba's Energy Woes Be Solved?
Cuba's energy crisis is more than blackouts; it's a daily struggle for survival. How did it get this bad?
spectrum.ieee.org
July 10, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Cuba's power grid is nearing total failure; how did it get this bad? Cuban economist Ricardo Torres explains in @spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/cuba-energy-...
The new, hefty tariffs on solar will change industry; one potential winner: next-generation perovskite solar cells, to which the tariffs don't apply. Ossila scientist Mary O'Kane explains: spectrum.ieee.org/perovskite-s...
Could Perovskite Solar Cells Start Competing with Traditional Silicon Solar Amidst New Tariffs?
New solar tariffs and innovative manufacturing could make perovskites cost-competitive
spectrum.ieee.org
May 7, 2025 at 5:00 PM
The new, hefty tariffs on solar will change industry; one potential winner: next-generation perovskite solar cells, to which the tariffs don't apply. Ossila scientist Mary O'Kane explains: spectrum.ieee.org/perovskite-s...
Ford is welcoming back a rock-star engine designer after pushing him out four years ago in favor of EV experts. Why does the company need him back? Lem Yueng tells his story: spectrum.ieee.org/ford-powertr...
Why Did This Ford Engine Maestro Leave the Iconic Company and Then Return? Here's His Emotional Journey Through the EV Transition.
After 30 years at Ford, Lem Yeung faced redundancy as the company shifted to EVs. Yet, Ford rehired him as a consultant to tackle rising powertrain warranty claims, highlighting the ongoing need for s...
spectrum.ieee.org
May 7, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Ford is welcoming back a rock-star engine designer after pushing him out four years ago in favor of EV experts. Why does the company need him back? Lem Yueng tells his story: spectrum.ieee.org/ford-powertr...
The XPrize in carbon removal went to a surprising choice: enhanced rock weathering startup Mati Carbon, which received $50 million. Noticeably absent from the top winners: direct air capture and ocean carbon removal strategies. spectrum.ieee.org/xprize-carbo...
How Did Mati Carbon Win the $50M XPrize for Carbon Removal?
The XPrize Foundation awarded $50M to Mati Carbon for its innovative carbon removal technique using enhanced rock weathering.
spectrum.ieee.org
April 23, 2025 at 9:48 PM
The XPrize in carbon removal went to a surprising choice: enhanced rock weathering startup Mati Carbon, which received $50 million. Noticeably absent from the top winners: direct air capture and ocean carbon removal strategies. spectrum.ieee.org/xprize-carbo...
What does Trump's $500 billion Stargate AI initiative mean for the U.S. grid? We asked experts to weigh in. #EnergySky With @costasamaras.com spectrum.ieee.org/stargate
Experts Weigh in on $500B Stargate Project for AI
The Trump-announced initiative to build data centers will have big impacts
spectrum.ieee.org
January 27, 2025 at 8:35 PM
What does Trump's $500 billion Stargate AI initiative mean for the U.S. grid? We asked experts to weigh in. #EnergySky With @costasamaras.com spectrum.ieee.org/stargate
Plug-in hybrids, like this year's Ram 1500 Ramcharger with extended range, are getting a reboot spectrum.ieee.org/plug-in-hybrid
As EV Sales Stall, Plug-In Hybrids Get a Reboot
This year’s Ram 1500 Ramcharger reveals the new focus on extended range
spectrum.ieee.org
January 15, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Plug-in hybrids, like this year's Ram 1500 Ramcharger with extended range, are getting a reboot spectrum.ieee.org/plug-in-hybrid
Top 10 climate tech stories of 2024 in IEEE Spectrum: spectrum.ieee.org/top-climate-...
IEEE Spectrum's Top Climate Tech Stories of 2024
Carbon capture, solar panel recycling, and clean energy generation
spectrum.ieee.org
December 31, 2024 at 5:37 PM
Top 10 climate tech stories of 2024 in IEEE Spectrum: spectrum.ieee.org/top-climate-...
Top 10 energy stories of 2024 in IEEE Spectrum: spectrum.ieee.org/top-ten-ener...
The Top 10 Energy Stories of 2024
Power beaming, nuclear fusion, and powerful geothermal drilling topped readers' favorites
spectrum.ieee.org
December 31, 2024 at 5:35 PM
Top 10 energy stories of 2024 in IEEE Spectrum: spectrum.ieee.org/top-ten-ener...
China is building a nuclear reactor that will run on fuel bred from thorium, which could be sourced from rare earth waste. Here's what we found out about this new molten-salt reactor in the Gobi Desert. #EnergySky spectrum.ieee.org/chinas-thori...
Why China Is Building a Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor
China’s demo reactor could breed nuclear fuel from rare earth waste
spectrum.ieee.org
December 31, 2024 at 4:51 PM
China is building a nuclear reactor that will run on fuel bred from thorium, which could be sourced from rare earth waste. Here's what we found out about this new molten-salt reactor in the Gobi Desert. #EnergySky spectrum.ieee.org/chinas-thori...
These startups are geoengineering the sea to capture and store more CO2 from the air. I visited a few Pacific Ocean operations for this deep dive into marine carbon tech. spectrum.ieee.org/ocean-carbon...
Startups Begin Geoengineering the Sea
These companies are trying to make the oceans a better carbon sink
spectrum.ieee.org
December 31, 2024 at 4:42 PM
These startups are geoengineering the sea to capture and store more CO2 from the air. I visited a few Pacific Ocean operations for this deep dive into marine carbon tech. spectrum.ieee.org/ocean-carbon...