Stories: 2010

On the edge

Venice, La., faces extinction. The BP oil spill has threatened the small fishing community's livelihood.

Energy cocktail

Can you supply enough energy for America while balancing carbon emissions and costs?

Nuclear properties

Part of the U.S. energy portfolio for more than 30 years, nuclear power remains a divisive issue. Concerns about safety, costs and jobs continue to dominate the landscape.

Manufacturing change

As Detroit attempts to reinvigorate a failing economy, alternative energy pioneers have a chance to spark a new industry.

Blackout on the hill

President Barack Obama brought to Washington the promise to rethink U.S. energy policy. Why, two years later, has no long-term comprehensive policy been put in place?

The power of water

Each year, Americans withdraw nearly half of their water resources to meet their growing energy demand, yet few realize the intrinsic connection between the two.

Power, Politics, People: 2010 Trailer



These stories were posted when Powering a Nation was launched in 2009.

Climate Refugees

Reporter Anna York traveled to Newtok, Alaska, to see firsthand how the rising sea threatened the stability of the village and its residents.

Down the lines

As energy consumption increases, the construction of power lines has fallen behind, leaving the energy grid in jeopardy.

Debating coal’s future

The residents of Meigs County, Ohio are faced with the potential of a new coal plant, which could harm the community’s health but also create jobs.

Energy portraits

Four American families open up about how they’re succeeding and struggling to reduce their energy consumption.

The high energy diet

The food we eat is processed using a large amount of fossil fuels and often travels a long way before arriving on our plates.

Mining the mountains

Mountaintop removal is an increasingly contentious issue in West Virginia. Protesters, miners and legislators clash in Appalachia.

Powering down

The Powering Down energy challenge gives you the tools you need to chart your energy use and target savings in your home.

Inside the Story

The power in plants

As efforts increase to lessen dependence on non-renewable energy sources, biofuels present a complex but perhaps viable alternative.

Reclaiming creation

Even in the secular, scientific realm of climate change and energy policy, religious faith could play a role.

Roping the wind

Farmers in Roscoe, Texas, missed out on the oil and gas boom, but they’re cashing in by placing wind turbines on their property.

The climate generation

Young people are at an added risk as climate change threatens their future. The nation’s youth are taking a more active role in trying to curb this threat.

2009 Powering a Nation Overview