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Seth Blumsack

Professor, Pennsylvania State University
Seth Blumsack is Professor in the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering; an Adjunct Research Professor at the Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center; and is on the External Faculty of the Santa Fe Institute.

His work focuses on policy-relevant engineering, environmental and economic research for the energy, electric power and transportation industries. He also performs research in the area of complex engineered infrastructure networks.

Dr. Blumsack's research agenda is highly interdisciplinary and problem-driven. Before returning to academia, he served as a journalist and consultant for Economic Insight, Inc., where he was a contributing editor for the Energy Market Report and Pacific West Oil Data. He has authored or co-authored more than twenty scientific and policy articles and book chapters.

His work on restructured electricity markets has been cited in The New York Times and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and his writing for the Energy Market Report on California’s energy crisis has been cited in the Los Angeles Times as well as in The Smartest Guys in the Room. He is currently the John R. Ryan Jr. Faculty Fellow in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

The US energy market has its troubles, though it may not be a ‘national emergency’

Mar 08, 2025 07:33 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

President Donald Trumps declaration of a national energy emergency on his first day in office and which he reiterated during his address to Congress on March 4, 2025 might have seemed to echo other national emergencies,...

What's behind $15,000 electricity bills in Texas?

Feb 26, 2021 14:49 pm UTC| Economy

Texans who made it through Februarys extreme cold weather without losing power or natural gas must have felt lucky. But for some, keeping their electricity through the blackout may turn out to be more traumatic than...

Economy

China’s Copper Smelters Slash Output Amid Severe Concentrate Shortage and Record Losses

Chinas major copper smelters have begun widespread maintenance shutdowns in Marchan unusual move during peak demand seasondue to an escalating copper concentrate shortage and plunging treatment fees. The maintenance,...

Dollar Strengthens as Fed Holds Rates and Market Eyes Trump Tariff Moves

The U.S. dollar stayed firm on Friday, extending gains after its strongest daily performance in three weeks. Markets reacted to the Federal Reserves steady interest rate stance and cautious outlook on future cuts. Fed...

Ireland’s Economy Faces 1.8% Decline by 2032 Amid U.S.-EU Trade Tensions

Irelands domestic economy could shrink by up to 1.8% by 2032 if the United States and European Union impose lasting tit-for-tat tariffs, according to a study co-authored by Irelands finance ministry and the Economic and...

Aussie Supermarkets Under Fire as Prices Soar and Profits Rise

Australias top supermarket chainsWoolworths, Coles, and ALDIhave expanded profit margins amid soaring grocery prices, according to a new report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The watchdog...

Japan Inflation Stays Sticky in February, Boosting BOJ Rate Hike Bets

Japans consumer inflation remained elevated in February, fueling expectations that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will continue tightening monetary policy in 2024. Government data released Friday showed the national Consumer...

Politics

Judge Halts SSA Data Sharing with Musk’s DOGE Over Privacy Breach

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that the Social Security Administration (SSA) likely violated privacy laws by granting Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) unrestricted access to sensitive data of millions...

Elon Musk to Receive Pentagon Briefing on U.S.-China War Plans Amid Rising Influence

Elon Musk is set to receive a classified briefing at the Pentagon this Friday on the U.S. militarys potential war strategies involving China, according to a New York Times report citing informed officials. The session will...

Europe Eyes Defense Shift from U.S. as Trump Factor Looms

Europes top military powers are quietly crafting plans to assume greater responsibility for the continents defense, aiming to ease reliance on the United States amid concerns over a potential Trump return to the White...

North Korea Tests New Anti-Aircraft Missile Amid Rising Tensions

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing of the countrys latest anti-aircraft missile system on Thursday, according to state media KCNA. The test confirmed the systems reliability and combat efficiency, with...

U.S. Judge Cleared of Ethics Violations After CNN Interview on Trump’s Attacks

Senior U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton has been cleared of judicial misconduct after speaking out on CNN against threats made towards the judiciary. The 3rd Circuit Judicial Council dismissed two ethics complaints...

Science

What’s the shape of the universe? Mathematicians use topology to study the shape of the world and everything in it

When you look at your surrounding environment, it might seem like youre living on a flat plane. After all, this is why you can navigate a new city using a map: a flat piece of paper that represents all the places around...

Asteroid has a very small chance of hitting Earth in 2032, but a collision could devastate a city

In December 2024, astronomers in Chile spotted a new asteroid streaking through the sky, which they named 2024 YR4. Whats significant about this 100m-wide space rock is that it has a small chance of hitting Earth in 2023....

Leonardo da Vinci’s incredible studies of human anatomy still don’t get the recognition they deserve

Wikimedia, CC BY-SA The mere mention of Leonardo da Vinci evokes genius. We know him as a polymath whose interests spanned astronomy, geology, hydrology, engineering and physics. As a painter, his Mona Lisa and Last Supper...

One of the largest searches for alien life started 30 years ago. Its legacy lives on today

In February 1995, a small research organisation known as the SETI Institute launched what was then the most comprehensive search for an answer to a centuries-old question: are we alone in the universe? This Sunday marks...

South African telescope discovers a giant galaxy that’s 32 times bigger than Earth’s

Inkathazos glowing plasma jets are shown in red and yellow. The starlight from other surrounding galaxies can be seen in the background. K.K.L Charlton (UCT), MeerKAT, HSC, CARTA, IDIA, CC BY You may not know it, but right...

Technology

Tesla to Produce 5,000 Optimus Robots in 2024 Amid EV Market Challenges

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) plans to manufacture 5,000 units of its Optimus humanoid robot this year, CEO Elon Musk revealed during a recent all-hands meeting. Despite Tesla shares plunging 41.5% year-to-date, Musk encouraged...

Instagram Experiences Widespread Outage, Thousands Affected in the U.S.

Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), suffered a major outage on Thursday evening, leaving thousands of users in the U.S. unable to access the platform. According to Downdetector, a site that tracks service...

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Reconsiders Quantum Computing at GTC 2025

At NVIDIAs GTC 2025 conference, CEO Jensen Huang took a surprising turn on his earlier skepticism toward quantum computing. Hosting two panels with leaders from 12 top quantum companies, including IonQ and D-Wave Quantum...

Nvidia to Invest Hundreds of Billions in U.S. Chip Supply Chain

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on U.S.-made chips and electronics over the next four years, CEO Jensen Huang revealed in an interview with the Financial Times. The company expects to...

SoftBank Acquires AI-Focused Chipmaker Ampere in $6.5B Deal

SoftBank Group (TYO:9984) is acquiring U.S. chip startup Ampere Computing in a $6.5 billion all-cash deal, strengthening its AI-driven semiconductor portfolio. Ampere, founded in 2018 by former Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)...