Moving the energy transition forward calls for work at many scales: deploying technologies already under development, finding practical uses for captured carbon, and connecting fundamental research to real applications. Those themes ran through the MIT Energy Initiative’s annual research conference, held Sept. 22-23 under the theme “Transitioning energy at a pivotal moment.”
More than 200 people joined in person and online, including researchers, energy companies, nonprofits, and academic institutions. Across talks and panels, participants considered how engineering, science, economics, policy, and social understanding can all shape what gets built and how it affects communities.
Putting current technologies to work
Eric Toone, chief technical officer and managing partner at Breakthrough Energy, opened with a reminder of the link between energy and emissions. He also pointed to ventures backed by the organization, including iron-air batteries and vacuum-insulated glass windows, as examples of technologies that could reduce the carbon costs of energy.
The conference also looked at projects moving toward deployment. John Parsons, deputy director for research at the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, moderated a panel on nuclear fission. Speakers discussed efforts to restore the Three Mile Island Unit 1 nuclear plant, which is set to restart in mid-2027; Électricité de France (EDF)’s work to extend and modernize France’s 57-reactor fleet; and GE Vernova’s new plant under construction in Ontario.
These examples point to a practical question for the transition: how can existing and emerging technologies deliver energy at scale? The conference framed decarbonization as a range of work, from projects being built now to research that may expand the options available later.
Finding useful roles for carbon and materials
Carbon utilization was another focus. Carolyn Ruppel, MITEI’s deputy director for science and technology, described the aim as finding uses for some of the carbon dioxide emissions not taken up by land and ocean. The panel explored technologies that could turn captured carbon into products.
Nicola Ferralis, a research scientist in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, emphasized the need for applications large enough to use substantial volumes of carbon waste. He pointed to structural carbon for vehicles and buildings as possible examples. Admir Masic, an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and DMSE, discussed self-heating concrete panels used in Sapporo, Japan, and new concrete materials that can store energy.
Energy storage also featured as a system-wide need. Masic argued that the transition to a renewable-energy economy will depend on scalable bulk storage. Kripa K. Varanasi, a professor in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, described work aimed at making emissions-plume capture at power plants economically viable.
Turning research into tools people can use
Several startups showed how energy research can become a service or product. Adaion has developed an AI tool for electrical utilities to optimize grid use. Raptor Maps trains drones to inspect solar farms, while HiBot has created a robot to detect problems in power lines. Lithios is conducting field pilots that use electrochemistry to separate lithium from low-grade brines.
Speakers said successful ventures need to solve a clear customer problem, validate it with industry users, and have a credible path to scaled deployment. That emphasis links technical progress with adoption: a promising idea must work in the settings where customers need it.
Early-stage work at the conference ranged from separating and recycling rare earth elements to algorithms for choosing which power plants should run to meet demand. Researchers were also modeling how development and decarbonization affect human and natural systems. Graduate student projects included steam electrolysis for hydrogen production, building decarbonization models, and designs for hydrogen- and methane-fueled aircraft.
Connecting basic science with energy challenges
The conference also considered whether quantum tools can help address energy problems. Danna Freedman, MIT chemistry professor and inaugural director of Quantum@MIT, spoke about the need to connect quantum computing capabilities to applications. A related panel examined quantum sensing, which can reveal materials and their properties at the nanoscale.
Examples included Lukasz Zielinski’s use of a lidar camera with single-photon detectors to identify methane plumes, and Paola Cappellaro’s work with diamond-based sensors to detect tiny magnetic fields. Together with the discussions of carbon, storage, nuclear power, and startups, these examples highlighted the breadth of the transition challenge: research must produce useful tools, and those tools must work in the systems and communities where they are applied.