In the Media

In an effort to rid the world of fossil fuels, an MIT spinoff plans to dig the deepest holes on Earth

Boston Globe    ·    March 18, 2022

MIT spinout Quaise Energy is using technology developed to produce fusion power at MIT to bore miles into the Earth, which could potentially provide unlimited geothermal energy across the globe.

Boston tech startups bet big on batteries

Boston Globe    ·    March 17, 2022

Boston area tech startups, including many with strong ties to MIT, are leading the way in advancing battery technology by developing next-gen lithium-ion batteries and new, grid-scale storage solutions.

MIT research team uses 3D scans to repurpose wood scraps

ConstructionDive    ·    March 16, 2022

Caitlin Mueller (Architecture) and her team are examining how to use the unique properties of odd-shaped tree parts, such as knots and forks that are typically thrown away, as building components. They are finding ways to use these discarded sections of wood to replace steel or concrete building parts, which have a heavy environmental toll.

Rusty metal could be the battery the energy grid needs

Popular Science    ·    March 12, 2022

MIT spinout Form Energy is developing iron-air batteries that can be commercially scaled up for energy storage to complement the proliferation of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

Static electricity can keep desert solar panels free of dust

NewScientist    ·    March 11, 2022

Dust accumulation on solar panels can have major impacts on their performance, but washing the panels uses huge amounts of water. MIT engineers have now developed a waterless cleaning method to remove dust on solar installations in water-limited regions, improving overall efficiency.

Analysis on gas prices from MIT

Yahoo News    ·    March 10, 2022

MITEI Deputy Director for Policy Christopher Knittel provides analysis on claims that Biden administration energy policies are to blame for increasing gas prices. Knittel states that GOP claims are “factually inaccurate” and that there "is no evidence" that a change in administration "broke the trend in gas prices."

Whitehouse names EPA, Energy, and USGS nominees

E&E News    ·    March 8, 2022

Evelyn Wang (Mechanical Engineering) has been nominated by President Biden to serve as the director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Project Agency. Wang is a leading researcher in phase-change heat transfer and has been involved in a number of projects connected to MITEI and the MIT Tata Center.

What Europe can learn from the 1970s oil crisis: Don’t fear high prices

Quartz    ·    March 7, 2022

MITEI Deputy Director for Policy Christopher Knittel compares Europe’s current energy challenges to the 1970s oil crisis, saying that Europe should see this as an opportunity to accelerate its clean energy transition.

Will Russia spur or deter Europe’s shift to green energy?

E&E News    ·    February 25, 2022

Michael Mehling (Center for Energy and Environmental Policy) discusses how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will impact the transition to cleaner energy in Europe.

Rusting batteries could help power the electric grid of the future

WBUR    ·    February 24, 2022

WBUR, an NPR station in Boston, highlights Form Energy—an MIT spinoff that's developing rust-powered batteries for long-duration energy storage.

It might be time to take methane removal seriously

Wired    ·    February 17, 2022

Researchers from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have found that a common clay in cat litter, when combined with copper and heat, can absorb methane from the air.

Imagining the “Google” of electrification: How digital twins and computational systems for continuous planning can reinvent century-old practices

Energy for Growth Hub    ·    February 14, 2022

Ignacio Pérez-Arriaga (MITEI, MIT Sloan School of Management) and PhD candidate Stephen Lee discuss the role that advanced, next-generation computational systems could have in transforming electricity systems.

Fact check: EV transition does not require every gas station in the U.S. to go electric

USA Today    ·    February 11, 2022

Ian Miller (MITEI) and Jessika Trancik (Institute for Data, Systems, and Society) weigh in to help dispel misleading claims on future electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

These 12-mile-deep holes could convert power plants from fossil fuel to geothermal

Fast Company    ·    February 8, 2022

MIT spinout Quaise Energy is developing a new technology that uses microwaves instead of traditional drilling equipment to dig deep into the Earth’s surface to unlock geothermal potential anywhere in the world. They recently raised a $40 million Series A funding round and are on their way to conducting in-the-field tests.

Ship emissions: MIT takes the lead toward net-zero

MaritimeLink    ·    February 8, 2022

Randall Field, the executive director of MITEI’s Future Energy Systems Center, discusses current research and the challenges ahead for the maritime sector.

Nuclear power is critical for the world’s climate crisis

Bloomberg Law    ·    February 8, 2022

Jacopo Buongiorno (Nuclear Science and Engineering) and others discuss the role nuclear power can play in combatting climate change.

Bill Gates invests in carbon capture startup after tech breakthrough

Bloomberg Green    ·    February 2, 2022

MIT spinoff Verdox Inc. is developing a system that could capture carbon dioxide directly from the air using up to 70% less energy than alternatives. The company recently raised more than $80 million from investors such as Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

Everyone’s least favorite climate fix? Nuclear power gets fresh look.

The Christian Science Monitor    ·    January 21, 2022

Nuclear science PhD candidate Robbie Stewart co-founded Boston Atomics, a startup creating “design to build” nuclear power plants that can be constructed quicker and at a lower cost than traditional plants.

Ubiquitous Energy aims to turn skyscrapers into vertical solar farms

CNBC    ·    January 12, 2022

MIT spinout Ubiquitous Energy is developing a transparent solar cell that can coat windows, potentially turning buildings and skyscrapers into “vertical solar farms.”

Was 2021 a breakthrough year for fusion energy?

Forbes    ·    January 5, 2022

In a roundup of fusion advancements during 2021, Forbes contributor Melanie Windridge highlights the September test of the high-temperature superconducting fusion magnet designed by Commonwealth Fusion Systems and MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.