In the media

Falling costs drive US toward green energy—even as political tides shift

Experts expect solar energy generation to continue to expand, even under the Trump administration. Chris Knittel (MIT Sloan) states that low solar costs are “driving a lot of adoption, because it’s just a cheap source of electricity.”

Tariffs will increase New England electricity and gas prices, economist says

The Trump administration recently announced tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, including a 10% tariff on Canadian energy resources. Chris Knittel (MIT Sloan) expects consumers will pay more than three quarters of the tax.

Desirée Plata: Chemist, oceanographer, engineer, entrepreneur

Desirée Plata (Civil and Environmental Engineering) discusses her efforts “to make our chemical processes and industries compatible with human and ecological health.”

Coming soon(ish) to a port near you: Floating nuclear plants

Nuclear startup Core Power, MIT, and the Idaho National Laboratory were awarded funds to develop floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs). “The value proposition is faster, cheaper, more versatile, and with a greater tolerance to loss of cooling events,” states Jacopo Buongiorno (Nuclear Science and Engineering) on the benefits of FNPPs.

Big Tech wants to plug data centers right into power plants. Utilities say it’s not fair.

In order to meet the growing energy demand from data centers, tech giants are seeking to connect directly to power plants and avoid the delays and higher costs associated with using the electric grid. MITEI Director Bill Green weighs in on the time-sensitivity of related federal regulations.

Is the world ready for the transformational power of fusion?

A recent MITEI report on fusion predicts that fusion power could surpass coal as the world's leading power source by 2050, reshaping the global energy market.

How giant ‘batteries’ in the Earth could slash your electricity bills

A new study—led by MIT graduate student Martin Staadecker—found that large-scale, long-duration energy storage deployment is essential for renewables to reach their full potential. “Battery storage on its own—or what people call short-duration energy storage—is very important. But you can’t just rely on lithium-ion batteries, because it would be very expensive to have enough to actually provide power for an entire week,” states Staadecker.

Texas could become a major producer of another source of renewable energy

Jessika Trancik (Institute for Data, Systems, and Society) weighs in on the developing energy transition infrastructure in Texas and the potential incorporation of green hydrogen: “There's a lot of efforts to try to grow that industry and take it in new, innovative directions.”

Why aren’t we driving hydrogen powered cars yet? There’s a reason EVs won.

MITEI Senior Research Scientist Sergey Paltsev weighs in on the roadblocks facing hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle adoption, stating "The answer is very simple: economics." Among other factors, the lack of fueling infrastructure is keeping these vehicles behind their electric counterparts.

‘It symbolises rugged individualism’: The bumpy road to electrify the pickup truck

Jessika Trancik (Institute for Data, Systems, and Society) discusses the future of EVs and her research lab’s online tool, Carboncounter, that analyzes the climate impact of different vehicles: “A shift to an electric vehicle is one of the single most impactful decisions that someone can make if they want to reduce their own emissions.”

What is ‘energy poverty’—and why does it keep getting so much worse?

A new MITEI-funded study found that a disproportionate number of people in the southern United States experience energy poverty—when over 6% of a household’s income is spent on energy. “As the climate warms, we’re going to need to use more and more energy on air-conditioning, and that’s going to increase the burden on low-income households,” states co-author Christopher Knittel (MIT Sloan).

Three Mile Island owner seeks taxpayer backing for Microsoft AI deal

The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant may be restarted so its electricity can be sold to Microsoft to power data centers. “We want Microsoft to buy their electricity from zero-carbon energy sources instead of from coal plants, so it is in the interest of all of us that this nuclear power plant gets reopened,” states John Parsons (MIT Sloan).

Nuclear power for AI: What it will take to reopen Three Mile Island safely

On the reopening of Three Mile Island, a former nuclear power plant now being considered as a power source for artificial intelligence, Jacopo Buongiorno (Nuclear Science and Engineering) states: “It’s further confirmation of the value of nuclear, and, if the deal is right—if the price is right—then it makes business sense, as well.”

Tugboat powered by ammonia sails for the first time, showing how to cut emissions from shipping

MIT startup Amogy is using ammonia produced by renewable energy as a carbon-free alternative for fueling tugboats. The 2,000-gallon tank of ammonia on the tugboat can power a 10–12-hour day at sea.

Meet the MIT professor with eight climate startups and $2.5 billion in funding

Yet-Ming Chiang (Materials Science and Engineering) has used his materials science research to build companies that aim to mitigate climate change through batteries, low-emissions cement, and other critical materials.

Feeling climate anxiety? These books offer glimmers of hope—and much-needed wisdom

Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again—a new book by Susan Solomon (Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences)—has been spotlighted as a hopeful remedy for climate anxiety.

2024 Grist 50 list: 50 climate leaders to watch

Asegun Henry (Mechanical Engineering) has been named as a 2024 Grist honoree for his invention of the “sun in a box,” a cost-effective system for storing renewable energy.

Tiny batteries for tiny robots that could deliver drugs inside our bodies

MIT engineers—led by Michael Strano (Chemical Engineering)—have designed a tiny zinc-air battery capable of deploying cell-sized autonomous robots for drug delivery within the body. Their findings may also have applications in the energy industry, aiding in the location of gas pipeline leaks.

Hydrogen’s unique role in a zero-carbon energy system

MITEI Founding Director Ernest Moniz discusses hydrogen’s importance in decarbonizing industry and creating a pathway to a zero-carbon energy system. In particular, geological hydrogen could be a game-changing energy source.

A new breakthrough in fusion reactors could solve a major problem scientists have faced

A new MITEI-funded study is advancing technologies required for fusion energy. Led by Ju Li (Nuclear Science and Engineering), MIT engineers have found a way to make structural materials last longer under the harsh conditions inside a fusion reactor.