The US Midwest is a promising region for the production of cellulosic biofuel, yet a greater understanding of the interactions between landscape-related decisions, biorefinery design and carbon capture integration is still needed. O’Neill et al. use fine-scale spatially explicit modelling to analyse the cost and greenhouse gas mitigation potential for such fuels in this region.

Net energy implications of the energy transition have primarily been assessed at the final energy stage to date. New research considers the useful-stage energy return on investment and finds that wind and solar photovoltaics outperform fossil fuels, shedding light on their investment potential.

Aqueous batteries, such as iodide/iodate-based ones, confront challenges due to their low energy densities. Here the authors utilize hetero-halogen electrolytes to enable fast multielectron transfer, yielding high-energy-density aqueous batteries.

Understanding how power systems fail—and the nature of cascading failures—as a result of hurricanes is important to increase future resilience. Here the authors present a co-evolution approach to modelling wind-induced power line failures caused by hurricanes and assess the potential impact of line hardening on grids.

Smart temperature-responsive materials could enhance battery thermal safety management; however, current designs lack the necessary responsiveness for both performance and safety. Here the authors demonstrate a material that swiftly transitions from thermal transmission to isolation during thermal runaway in battery modules, thereby ensuring battery safety.

High-temperature operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells has some advantages but is also challenging due to the instability of proton transport above 160 °C. Here the authors report a polymer electrolyte membrane comprising well-dispersed and interconnected cerium hydrogen phosphate particles within a polymer matrix that performs well in a fuel cell at up to 250 °C.

Drawing from data on 11 US states, here the authors find evidence to suggest that community solar and other alternative solar products have the potential to expand solar access among lower-income and renter households.

EU emissions trading system carbon prices have surged since 2017. Here the authors consider sources of this increase and note that increased foresight driven by stronger commitment to climate targets has played a role. Prices also run the risk of dropping if policy credibility is undermined.

A detailed understanding of defects in kesterite solar cells is still lacking. Shi et al. identify a key defect and its formation mechanism and use alloying to suppress it, achieving solar cells with 14.2% certified efficiency.

Increased deployment of electrification through solar power, heat pumps and electric vehicles requires power-network upgrades, but their full impacts are unclear. Few et al. take a local-level approach to examine network upgrade needs, finding large regional variations, and explore how flexibility can minimize impacts.

The understanding of justice in the energy sector has now been harmonized across stakeholders, causing risk, reward and — in particular — responsibility to be reallocated towards energy companies and governments. Energy decision-makers today will be held legally accountable for past decisions, and this will influence how decisions are made today.