Post-Fukushima nuclear closures of dozens of reactors forced the country to rely heavily on imported fossil fuels.

The stillness of a bitterly cold afternoon is broken by the swish, swoosh of three 50m-long blades, adjusting automatically to the tiniest shift in the direction of a dependable westerly wind that keeps them turning day and night.

From here, up on a mountain ridge in rural Fukushima prefecture in north-east Japan, the wind turbines stretch for miles. In the distance, you can see the outlines of the reactor buildings at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which is in the slow process of being decommissioned at a cost so far of $35bn (£26bn) almost 15 years since it suffered a triple meltdown after being struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and a 15m (49ft) tsunami. Another nuclear plant further south stands idle.

But the 46 turbines that make up the sprawling Abukuma windfarm – the biggest onshore windfarm in Japan – could offer hope for a different future for the region’s energy supply.

Species that is critically endangered in Britain is spotted in Mersey, Bollin and Goyt rivers in north-west

NANTUCKET – The Town of Nantucket will begin accepting claims next month in connection to last summer’s Vineyard Wind turbine blade failure. The July 13th, 2024 incident scattered foam, fiberglass and other debris along Nantucket’s shores, as well as other parts of the Cape and Islands. 

Drive through the plains of Iowa or Kansas and you’ll see more than rows of corn, wheat and soybeans. You’ll also see towering wind turbines spinning above fields and solar panels shining in the sun on barns and machine sheds.

For many farmers, these are lifelines. Renewable energy provides steady income and affordable power, helping farms stay viable when crop prices fall or drought strikes.

But some of that opportunity is now at risk as the Trump administration cuts federal support for renewable energy.

Rural counties also benefit in jobs, manufacturing and tax revenue that will be hard to replace as the US government slashes support for the industries.

The US Department of the Interior's halt on offshore wind projects raises questions of conflicts of interest and legality. Is this move truly in the interest of national security, or is it a ploy to benefit fossil fuel investments? Congress must act to uncover the truth and uphold the rule of law. 

Timothy Whitehouse, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), wrote to the top members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Committee on Natural Resources regarding the pause on projects off the coasts of Virginia, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts—projects that account for billions of dollars in investment, employ thousands of people, and generate sustainable energy for roughly 2.5 million homes and businesses.

TransAlta’s Centralia power plant was meant to close at month’s end and be converted to burn gas by 2028. DOE’s must-run order complicates that plan.

Sea level rise is an imminent threat shaping our coastlines and communities. In the Bay Area we are facing higher tides, more frequent flooding, and escalating risks to infrastructure and ecosystems. Spanning approximately one mile, The First Mile Horizontal Levee aims to enhance coastal resilience against sea level rise.

In May, Save The Bay was featured OpenRoad: Saving shorelines and a trails challenge where we toured the First Mile Horizontal Levee at the Hayward shoreline. This levee is a nature-based approach made of soil and plants that buffers nearby communities and improves water quality while creating habitat for wildlife.

A plan to help local communities pay their share of the long-sought Arkansas River Valley conduit passed Congress with strong bipartisan support, but has still come up one vital signature short of becoming a reality.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday vetoed the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act” despite its sponsorship by fellow Republicans and the significant benefits it would provide to southeastern Colorado, where his support runs deep. The conduit, which broke ground in 2023, will provide clean water for farming, factories and households. The bill would have given local communities 100 years to pay back no-interest federal loans for their share of the project. 

"President Trump decided to veto a completely non-controversial, bipartisan bill that passed both the House and Senate unanimously,” Boebert said. “If this administration wants to make its legacy blocking projects that deliver water to rural Americans; that's on them."

Boebert also questioned the president’s motives for the veto, suggesting it might be retribution because she helped ensure a vote on releasing the Epstein files.

Climate change driven by human burning of fossil fuels helped make 2025 one of the hottest years ever recorded, a scientific report published Monday affirmed, prompting renewed calls for urgent action to combat the worsening planetary emergency.

Researchers at World Weather Attribution (WWA) found that “although 2025 was slightly cooler than 2024 globally, it was still far hotter than almost any other year on record,” with only two other recent years recording a higher average worldwide temperature.

The U.S. has become a "side character" in the global story of renewable energy, experts say. China dominates the sector, with positive implications for the climate and their economy.

New digital meter socket adapters from Tesla and others make home solar, battery, and EV charging installs a snap. But only if utilities let homes use them.

Back in 1883, solar panels had been built by Charles Fritts by coating a selenium base with a thin metal layer to produce power. While the initial solar panels were pure genius, they tended to be rather rigid. This flat panel was rather lucrative for conditions where the light source was still. The static panel, however, could not fully capture the sun from all directions.

The founder of Kyosemi’s Sphelar®, Mr. Nakata, questioned why all solar panels had to be flat. With this curiosity, it was decided that solar panels could be spherical in shape instead.

A ​widespread power outage in San Francisco that ‌led to Waymo robotaxis stalling and snarling traffic earlier this month has raised concerns ‌about the readiness of autonomous vehicle operators to tackle major emergencies like earthquakes and floods.

BARNSTABLE – State officials and Governor Maura Healey has issued a joint letter urging federal officials to immediately lift the stop work orders on five offshore wind projects, including

Vineyard Wind off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. 

The letter is addressed to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, arguing that the Trump Administration’s recent freeze is raising energy costs and threatening jobs. 

A powerful storm continues to batter California, triggering mudslides, severe flooding and multiple evacuations. It’s a record-setting Christmas Day for rain and officials are warning travelers to reconsider holiday travel plans as dangerous conditions may only get worse. William Brangham reports.