In the media

Lithium-ion roadblocks drive development of U.S.-based alternatives for grid battery storage

A panel of experts, including Yang Shao-Horn (Materials Science and Engineering) and Scott Burger PhD ’19 of Form Energy, discussed alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for grid-scale battery storage at the 2022 MIT Energy Conference.

Renewables are key to cutting emissions over next decade, U.N. panel says

Jessika Trancik (Institute for Data, Systems, and Society) discusses the dramatic price drops seen in the production of renewable energy technologies.

Hydrogen is going ‘green’ in many ways but policy changes are needed for grid management, analysts say

At the 2022 MIT Energy Conference, panelists at the “Developing the hydrogen economy” session examined the role that hydrogen could play in the decarbonization of heavy industries such as shipping, aviation, and steel.

Why reining in electricity prices is a lot tougher than it looks

Politicians are scrambling to find solutions to Europe’s soaring electricity prices. MITEI postdoctoral associate Tim Schittekatte weighs in.

Can carbon capture reverse climate change?

MITEI Senior Research Engineer Howard Herzog explains the different facets of carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) in a deep dive video by Bloomberg Green. He explores this suite of negative emissions technologies and how companies are using CCUS to combat climate change.

Dust-repellent solar panels could save billions of gallons of water

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

The car of the future may be built from crude oil leftovers

Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have found a new, inexpensive way to create carbon fiber using leftover waste from crude oil processing. This discovery could allow for carbon fiber to be utilized much more widely than it is today, creating lighter and more efficient cars at a more affordable price.

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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, 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

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

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

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.