News

In an article for The Wall Street Journal, reporter Neanda Salvaterra interviews Idaho National Laboratory's David Petti about his work on MIT's Future of Nuclear Energy study and how nuclear energy could make a difference in the power sector.

Axios reporter Ben Geman writes that MIT researchers have found the most effective way to reduce emissions from electricity sources is to use a mix of renewable and other low-carbon tech options. "It's not about specific technologies. It's about those key roles that we need filled on the low-carbon team," explains study co-author Jesse Jenkins.

In Politico's Morning Energy newsletter, Kelsey Tamborrino writes about MIT's nuclear study and the potential new solutions it offers to reduce reactor cost, including emissions pricing, standardized designs, and passive safety technologies.

Generate, a newsletter from Axios, discusses MIT's nuclear study and its conclusion that although nuclear power is necessary if we are to achieve deep decarbonization, cost reductions and increased policy support are required before that can occur. The bottom line, the newsletter explains, is that nuclear’s higher cost places a higher price overall on clean energy.

In an article for S&P Global, Sarah Smith and Ashleigh Cotting speak with MITEI director of research Francis O’Sullivan about the effects California’s proposed zero-emissions plan may have on western natural gas markets. O’Sullivan discusses electrification of heating, carbon-free power grids, and California’s unique climate problems.

In an article for the MIT Technology Review, James Temple highlights MIT’s new nuclear study and its conclusion that without cost reductions, nuclear power can never reach its full potential. Temple notes that the report provides some possible solutions: building up a skilled labor force experienced with a particular kind of reactor design, establishing a reliable supply chain, and more.

In an article for Bloomberg, Jonathan Tirone writes about MIT’s “landmark report” on nuclear energy, which finds that policy support for clean technologies and cost-reduction strategies such as emissions pricing are critical if nuclear is to play a role in fighting climate change.

In an article by reporter Russell Gold for The Wall Street Journal, MITEI Director of Research Francis O’Sullivan says renewable costs have fallen so far in the past few years that “wind and solar now represent the lowest-cost option for generating electricity."

MITEI Director of Research Francis O'Sullivan says technological innovation will drive the future of energy. Japan must act accordingly in its decarbonization efforts, writes Yoichi Funabashi for The Japan Times.

In a commentary for Nature, Ashley Nunes, Bryan Reimer and Joseph Coughlin of the MIT AgeLab discuss how current legislation does not sufficiently account for the risks associated with operating autonomous vehicles. “Policymakers need to work more closely with academics and manufacturers to design appropriate regulations,” they write. “This is extremely challenging because the research cuts across many disciplines.”

In an article by The Economist's Henry Tricks, MITEI Director of Research Francis O'Sullivan discusses the clean power transition’s effect on energy geopolitics.

MITEI research director Francis O'Sullivan says "we've entered a new era”—one in which clean energy is rapidly transforming the marketplace.