In the quest to mitigate the severe effects of climate change, “we must accelerate decarbonization efforts,” emphasized William H. Green, the director of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and Hoyt C. Hottel Professor at the MIT Department of Chemical Engineering, during MITEI’s Annual Research Conference.
“But how do we confront this challenge amid a divisive political landscape in the United States, coupled with global geopolitical tensions, trade barriers, natural disasters, and rising energy demands as developing nations expand their middle classes?” Green pondered.
This pressing question was at the forefront as researchers, government representatives, and business leaders gathered on September 25-26 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for a conference titled “A Durable Energy Transition: Staying on Track Amid Rising Demand and Unforeseen Challenges.”
“We possess significant power in this room,” Green stated. “By collaborating and demonstrating to society the feasible pathways and strategic policies for tackling these issues, we can initiate collective action.”
The paramount importance of building consensus to advance the energy transition was a recurring theme throughout the conference. Whether the focus was on adopting new technologies, designing infrastructure, implementing essential energy policies, or cultivating a skilled workforce, the dialogue prioritized cooperation.
Addressing Conflicts
Transitioning away from fossil fuels comes with “backlash and social costs,” noted Stephen Ansolabehere, the Frank G. Thompson Professor of Government at Harvard University, during a session on social barriers to decarbonization. “It’s crucial for companies to engage with communities and recognize their rights,” he stressed.
Nora DeDontney, director of development at Vineyard Offshore, shared her company’s two-year engagement process to bring significant cables from offshore wind farms to shore. “Our guiding principle is ‘community first,’” she stated, highlighting initiatives that mitigate potential impacts on towns, such as enhancing sewer systems, providing workforce training for Tribal Nations, and strategically placing wind turbines to support local fishing activities.
Elsa A. Olivetti, a professor in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering leading the Decarbonization Mission of MIT’s new Climate Project, highlighted the urgent need to expedite mineral extraction. “To transition the vehicle fleet to electric by 2050, we need approximately six new large copper mines online each year,” she noted. This necessity may lead to encroachment on Indigenous lands and sensitive ecological areas. “The permitting timeline does not align with the required acceleration,” she pointed out.
To ease such tensions, Larry Susskind from the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning is developing renewable energy clinics where students learn to navigate emerging disputes over siting decisions.\ “We need to engage with communities early in the decision-making process, conducting joint fact-finding exercises to minimize harm and maximize benefits,” he explained.
The Clean Energy Surge
The demand for energy has surged unexpectedly, particularly due to the proliferation of data centers constructed by major tech firms to support emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
“We are enhancing our approach by sourcing diverse clean energy locally and accelerating technological innovations such as next-gen geothermal projects,” he shared. Pedro Gómez Lopez, strategy and development director at Ferrovial Digital, which designs and builds data centers, emphasized the importance of integrating renewable energy into their projects to advance decarbonization goals while benefiting local communities. “We aim to generate new power supplies by utilizing excess heat from data centers to support residential and industrial heating through District Heating systems,” he explained.
The Inflation Reduction Act and other recent legislation have dramatically increased clean energy job opportunities across the nation, reaching even regions heavily reliant on fossil fuels. “As of early 2024, there are about 3.5 million jobs in clean energy, with rapid growth in typically conservative states,” noted David S. Miller, managing partner at Clean Energy Ventures. “The majority—58 percent—of new energy jobs are now in clean energy, indicating that this transition is well underway.”
The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) is particularly focused on supporting economically disadvantaged areas, according to Zoe Lipman, lead for good jobs and labor standards at the DoE. “The community benefit process is woven into our funding framework,” she detailed. “We are laying the groundwork for a virtuous cycle that ensures disadvantaged communities and energy workers receive benefits, fostering workforce training partnerships, and promoting well-paying union jobs. These policies aim to encourage active community and labor engagement which is essential for attaining support for technological advancements.”
Challenges and Opportunities in Hydrogen
While stakeholder engagement can facilitate the implementation of technologies and infrastructure development, significant policy, scientific, and engineering challenges remain. During a “fireside chat,” Prasanna V. Joshi, vice president of low-carbon-solutions technology at ExxonMobil, and MIT’s Ernest J. Moniz, a professor of physics and special advisor to the president, discussed initiatives aimed at replacing natural gas and coal with zero-carbon hydrogen to curtail greenhouse gas emissions in key industries, including steel and fertilizer manufacturing.
“We are entering an era of industrial policy,” Moniz noted, referencing a new DoE program designed to boost demand for hydrogen, which is currently more expensive than traditional fossil fuels, in various applications. “We need to transition from an approach reliant purely on incentives to one that employs both incentives and regulations to establish a self-sustaining, scalable hydrogen economy,” he warned.
To reach net-zero emissions by 2050, ExxonMobil plans to harness carbon capture and sequestration in natural gas-based hydrogen and ammonia production. Ammonia may also serve as a cost-effective zero-carbon fuel alternative. The potential to burn ammonia directly in coal-fired power plants is under exploration to further expand the hydrogen value chain. Yet, questions arise. “What’s the key technology breakthrough to burn 100 percent ammonia?” Joshi questioned. Collaborating with MIT’s innovation ecosystem will be crucial to resolving obstacles in these hydrogen and ammonia-based industries.
MIT’s Essential Ingenuity
Global energy transitions are driving diverse demands in different regions. For example, in India, despite currently low per capita power consumption, rapid urbanization and industrial growth are expected to triple energy demand by 2050, observed Praveer Sinha, CEO of Tata Power Co. Ltd., in his keynote address. Currently reliant on coal, India aims to incorporate an additional 300 gigawatts of zero-carbon capacity within the next five years through renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydro, supplemented by nuclear power.
“India plans to triple its nuclear power generation capacity by 2032 and intends to advance small modular reactors,” Sinha stated. “The country also requires the swift deployment of storage solutions to stabilize intermittent energy supplies.” The ultimate goal is to ensure consistent electricity access to a diverse population inhabiting both bustling cities and remote villages through extended transmission lines and localized microgrids. “India’s energy transition will rely on innovative and affordable technological solutions, and where better to turn than MIT, with its vast pool of talent, startups, and technology?” he concluded.
This conference showcased MIT’s innovation pipeline, featuring a range of promising startups, including:
- The MIT spinout Form Energy, which has created a 100-hour iron battery as a backup for renewable energy sources during prolonged outages;
- Startup Noya, aiming for direct air capture of atmospheric CO2 utilizing carbon-based materials;
- Active Surfaces, offering lightweight materials to harness solar photovoltaics in previously inaccessible areas;
- Copernic Catalysts, delivering new chemical processes for ammonia and sustainable aviation fuel that significantly reduce costs compared to traditional methods;
- Sesame Sustainability, a software platform emerging from MITEI that provides industries with a comprehensive financial analysis of decarbonization strategies.
The conference also featured a “slam” competition where undergraduates presented their summer research projects covering topics from carbon capture using enzymes to innovative 3D designs for fusion energy confinement coils.
“As an MIT student, I aspire to become a leader in the energy sector, applying my engineering expertise to resolve critical climate challenges and effect real change,” stated Trent Lee, a mechanical engineering junior focused on enhancing lithium-ion energy storage systems. “We are excited about the energy transition; it’s not just about the future—it’s our opportunity to shape it!”
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
