by Jeff Ihnen | Nov 4, 2025 | Energy Rant
Two weeks ago, I described how liquid-air energy storage systems work. Concisely: Electricity drives air compressors that compress air to rather extreme pressures. This air compression generates a lot of heat, which is the lowest form of energy. Heat is stored in...
by Jeff Ihnen | Oct 20, 2025 | Energy Rant
Last week, I threw a hissy fit when I saw that The Wall Street Journal finally reported on its front page that AI Data Centers, Desperate for Electricity, Are Building Their Own Power Plants. Welcome aboard, Paul[1]! I first introduced that topic to Rant readers on...
by Jeff Ihnen | Oct 13, 2025 | Energy Rant
I could write about electricity shortages and data centers every week. Maybe I’ll attempt to keep it to one per month. There are many reasons it’s important, but the big one is that it drives load growth, strains the bajeezus out of the grid, and keeps...
by Jeff Ihnen | Oct 8, 2025 | Energy Rant
Check out this week’s video blog as Jeff goes off-road with South Dakota State University Football Coach Emeritus, John Stiegelmeier, who led the Jackrabbits to their first FCS Championship in his final season of 2022. Learn about the rigors of a seven-day-per-week...
by Jeff Ihnen | Sep 30, 2025 | Energy Rant
I learned some interesting new things as I prepared and updated content for my presentation to the Wisconsin Public Utilities Institute’s Energy Utility Basics in a couple of weeks. Online registration is still open, so get in while you can. First, EVs are...
