In the media

How a gas company and environmentalists united on a first-of-its-kind geothermal project

The first U.S. trial of heat pump technology being provided to an entire neighborhood by a major utility is being conducted by Eversource in Framingham, MA. Weighing in on the trial, MITEI Senior Research Scientist Sergey Paltsev says, “If we are really serious about decarbonization, we need to study all the possible options.”

Many climate policies struggle to cut emissions, study finds

Jessika Trancik (Institute for Data, Systems, and Society) describes two ways a climate policy can be effective: by reducing emissions and by creating pathways for technological advancement. "Many of the technological tools that are needed to address climate change are now available," states Trancik, "and ready to be adopted at scale because of a host of different types of policies that came before."

The power of beer cans: Boston startup says it can unleash the energy stored in aluminum

MIT spinout Found Energy has developed a chemical process that turns refined aluminum back into its raw form, generating energy in the process. “Our thesis is that aluminum is the most efficient way to move clean energy around,” states co-founder and MIT alum Peter Godart.

Active Surfaces raises $5.6 million to develop ‘solar 2.0’

MIT spinout Active Surfaces uses industrial roll-to-roll semiconductor printing technology to produce lightweight, flexible solar panels that can be integrated into virtually any surface.

U.S. startup plans perovskite solar factory

MIT spinout Swift Solar plans to build a factory in the United States to manufacture their thin-film solar photovoltaics.

Commentary: Climate change solutions must involve the global economy

MITEI Director William H. Green writes for the Boston Business Journal saying that if we are to solve the climate problem, the entire global economy needs to change. "We at MIT are searching for real climate solutions that the public will adopt, and that merit the huge investments necessary for wide deployment," says Green. "By working collaboratively to solve these complex issues we will successfully address the greatest threat facing humanity today."

Susan Solomon: ‘Healing the earth is possible’

Susan Solomon (Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences) discusses her efforts to communicate climate science and her new book, Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again: “We are in a world bursting with change. So it’s a perfect time to be a climate scientist and study all those things.”

These SF startups could play key roles in electrification push

A group of startups in San Francisco are aiming to support the power grid as electrification adds new demand. “We’re going to be moving a lot more electrons during certain time periods than the current transmission and, certainly, distribution network is capable of doing, if we don’t do that smartly. Technology is a potential solution to this,” states MITEI Deputy Director of Policy Chris Knittel.

New era for nuclear power

Jacopo Buongiorno (Nuclear Science and Engineering) discusses the Biden Administration’s investments in nuclear power generation and the great potential of this energy source. “The nice thing about nuclear is that it’s a fairly versatile energy source. It can give you heat, if you want heat. It can give you electricity if you want electricity.”

Are flight offsets worth it?

John Sterman (MIT Sloan) discusses the effectiveness of flight offsets. In order for the offsets to be legitimate, the results must be “verifiable, immediate, and durable” as well as “additional”, meaning the project wouldn’t have happened without the offset.

Energy-hungry AI is eating the planet. But is it also humanity’s best hope?

MITEI’s Rob Stoner discusses AI’s unsustainable energy consumption. Even with the introduction of renewable energy sources—through the use of power purchase agreements (PPAs)—Stoner states that tech firms are pulling electricity from the grid faster than they can add to it.

Kornbluth cheers for MIT to tackle climate change

MIT President Sally Kornbluth is “determined to harness MIT’s considerable brainpower” to tackle climate change through the Climate Project at MIT. Kornbluth asserts that MIT’s “culture of entrepreneurship” uniquely positions the Institute to take on climate challenges.

The pros and pitfalls of hydrogen power, according to MIT energy expert

MITEI's Rob Stoner discusses hydrogen energy and the seven hydrogen "hubs" created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. "[The hubs are] trying to create investment...and at the same time, they're trying to create demand for hydrogen so that will be the basis for buying and consuming hydrogen within a range of industries."

Woburn-based battery maker raises $78 million

Alsym Energy—cofounded by Kripa Varanasi (Mechanical Engineering)—is developing rechargeable batteries that match the performance of lithium-ion cells without using lithium or cobalt. Instead, the batteries use manganese oxide for one of its electrodes and a water-based electrolyte solution. 

The ’90s are over: 5 reasons to embrace carbon pricing today

Cowriting for The Hill, Catherine Wolfram (MIT Sloan) presents evidence arguing for U.S. politicians to embrace carbon pricing: “2025 will be a big year for Congress to tackle longstanding fiscal issues and further climate policy efforts.” 

“Once-unthinkable” ways we can cool the planet

Carbon capture and storage technologies can be used to address climate change, but MITEI Senior Research Engineer Howard Herzog warns they aren’t a “silver bullet.”

A growth spurt in green architecture

In the green building revolution, architects are increasingly using renewable, organic, and carbon-absorbing materials to decrease the environmental impact of their structures. “At this critical moment, what we architects do matters more than ever. [...] Every kilowatt-hour of solar power, every unit of zero-carbon housing, and every calorie of sustainably sourced vegetables will be multiplied across history,” states Carlo Ratti (Urban Studies and Planning). 

Solar hits a renewable energy milestone not seen since WWII

Last year, solar accounted for more than half of the nation’s energy additions to the grid—the first time grid additions have been dominated by a renewable source since hydropower during WWII. The growth of renewable energy projects is “very likely to continue because solar and wind are now very well established. Solar costs continue to fall far below where we ever thought they would,” states MITEI Director Robert Stoner.

Here’s where Biden’s climate law Is working, and where it’s falling short

The MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research and the Rhodium Group have provided a new analysis of the successes and shortcomings of President Biden’s climate bill, with the biggest renewable energy obstacles being logistical ones.

Green energy, EV sales are growing remarkably in the U.S. as emissions fall. Is it enough?

The Clean Investment Monitor database—developed by the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research and the Rhodium Group—has found that the “U.S. is generally heading in the right direction to achieve its energy goals to combat climate change, but it could still face headwinds due to siting and permitting delays, backlogged electric grid connection requests, and supply chain challenges.”