MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI)

A fix for foulants

Researchers devise a practical solution for preventing corrosive CRUD buildup in nuclear systems.

August 13, 2020

Assessing the value of battery energy storage in future power grids

Storage value increases as variable renewable energy supplies an increasing share of electricity, but storage cost declines are needed to realize full potential.

August 12, 2020

MIT researchers and Wyoming representatives explore energy and climate solutions

Members of Wyoming’s government and public university met with MIT researchers to discuss climate-friendly economic growth.

August 11, 2020

MIT Energy Conference goes virtual

Annual student-run energy conference pivots to successful online event with short notice in response to the coronavirus.

August 7, 2020

Arthur Samberg, philanthropist and MIT Corporation life member, dies at 79

Alumnus and Pequot Capital founder had a long and varied association with the Institute.

July 27, 2020

MIT's campus response to the pandemic has informed future modeling and demonstrated how the community can advance its important work even when displaced.

Building a more sustainable MIT — from home

MIT’s Office of Sustainability puts lessons of resiliency into practice.

July 15, 2020

Human capital development in Russia through increased per-student expenditure could lead to long-term benefits in manufacturing, services, agriculture, food production, and other sectors. Seen here: Russian students from Tyumen State University.

Decarbonize and diversify

How energy-intensive economies can survive and thrive as the globe ramps up climate action.

July 15, 2020

Sahag Voskian SM ’15, PhD ’19 (left) and Professor T. Alan Hatton have developed an electrochemical cell that can capture and release carbon dioxide with just a small change in voltage.

A new approach to carbon capture

Researchers design an effective treatment for both exhaust and ambient air.

July 9, 2020

Newly tenured MIT science professors include: (top row, l-r) Ibrahim Cissé, Mehrdad Jazayeri, Lindley Winslow; (middle row, l-r) Adam Willard, Yogesh Surendranath, Mark Vogelsberger; (bottom row, l-r) Joshua McDermott, Jörn Dunkel, Yen-Jie Lee.

Nine MIT School of Science professors receive tenure for 2020

Professors earn tenure in the departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.

July 7, 2020

Electric power grids and energy infrastructure are becoming increasingly threatened as extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, occur with more frequency and strength. One of the eight novel energy research projects to recently win an MIT Energy Initiative Seed Fund award will address these challenges by developing an approach for building hurricane-resilient smart grids.

MIT Energy Initiative awards eight seed fund grants for early-stage MIT energy research

Annual MITEI awards support research on battery storage, smart grids, and carbon emissions reduction.

June 30, 2020

Utility-scale photovoltaic arrays are an economic investment across most of the United States when health and climate benefits are taken into account, concludes an analysis by MITEI postdoc Patrick Brown and Senior Lecturer Francis O’Sullivan. Their results show the importance of providing accurate price signals to generators and consumers and of adopting policies that reward installation of sol...

Researchers find benefits of solar photovoltaics outweigh costs

Over a seven-year period, decline in PV costs outpaced decline in value; by 2017, market, health, and climate benefits outweighed the cost of PV systems.

June 23, 2020

Joel Jean PhD ’17, co-founder of Swift Solar, stands in front of the company’s sign at its permanent location in San Carlos, California.

Startup with MIT roots develops lightweight solar panels

“The inventions and technical advancements of Swift Solar have the opportunity to revolutionize the format of solar photovoltaic technology.”

June 15, 2020

New accident-tolerant fuel design, capable of providing additional layer of containment while packing three to four times the fuel mass per volume as compared to competing fuel forms with similar safety characteristics.

A layered approach to safety

Using 3D fabrication, researchers develop novel nuclear materials that optimize both accident tolerance and performance.

June 11, 2020

Using a novel methodology, MITEI researcher Joanna Moody and Associate Professor Jinhua Zhao uncovered patterns in the development trends and transportation policies of China’s 287 cities — including Fengcheng, shown here — that may help decision-makers learn from one another.

Transportation policymaking in Chinese cities

A new framework for learning from each other.

May 21, 2020

Oxygen evolution reactions are important in a variety of industrial processes. A new study provides a detailed analysis of the process at a molecular level. As illustrated here, the researchers analyzed how molecules of water (H2O, left) are catalyzed by specific locations on a surface of ruthenium dioxide (center) to form molecules of oxygen (O2, right).

Study unveils details of how a widely used catalyst splits water

“Gold standard” material for generating oxygen from water divulges its molecular mechanisms.