Explainers

UCS serves a nuclear safety watchdog. Here are our recommendations for safer, more secure nuclear power.

Renewable energy can be increased significantly without affecting the reliability of the electricity grid. Studies by the experts who plan and operate the electricity grid overwhelmingly confirm it.

This comprehensive overview explains how and why natural gas is flared and processed for use, and the methods and risks associated with transporting natural gas in the U.S. and around the world.

This comprehensive overview details the many uses of natural gas, including electricity generation, heating, and industrial uses.

This comprehensive overview explains the basics of unconventional sources of natural gas, including shale gas, tight gas sandstone, coalbed methane, methane hydrates, and biogenic gas.

Oil is changing—and its impacts are becoming more severe.

Learn how electricity gets from power plants to your house. An overview of the electricity grid, including its primary components, history, and future opportunities.

The Production Tax Credit (PTC) is a federal incentive that provides financial support for the first ten years of a renewable energy facility's operation.

From television and telephones to safety and science, we use satellites every minute of every day.

Communities need science to help them weigh risks and benefits of unconventional oil and gas extraction.

Learn how global warming is affecting the timing and availability of water resources in the western US.

Learn how heat from the Earth is converted into electricity in this comprehensive overview, including a discussion of the geothermal resource, its environmental and societal impacts, and its potential for future expansion.