sand

Could the sand battery make renewable energy more dependable?
Courtesy Polar Night Energy
A start-up in Finland unveils the world’s first commercial heat storage system using sand to solve the problem of the variability of solar and wind power.
What happens when we run out of sand?
John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images
We’re depleting the natural resource at an alarming rate, which means higher costs for building, the environment and mining communities.
Central Texas sand mines shift west, taking jobs with them
Gabriel C. Pérez/KUT
The market for McCulloch County sand has been drying up.
States play catch-up with sand mining
In Wisconsin, sand mines go uninspected, fines are modest and some rules have lapsed.
Frac sand companies get creative with local politics
When a Wisconsin county tried to shut them out, sand companies found a way in.
Sand turns a rural county upside-down
Fracking creates a sand rush in western Wisconsin, and not everyone is happy.
Warrantless cell phone tracking is everywhere
A new report from the American Civil Liberties Union says that law enforcement agencies are frequently using cell phone tracking information provided by wireless carriers. Plus, Wonder Twin powers activate: Smart sand is on the way.
Sand rush splits a community
How the discovery of a valuable commodity under the rolling hills of a rural Wisconsin community has pitted neighbor against neighbor.

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