How your electric bill may be paying for big data centers’ energy use

If state regulators allow utilities to follow the standard approach of splitting the costs of new infrastructure among all consumers, the public will end up paying for data centers’ power.

Eliza Martin, Legal Fellow, Environmental and Energy Law Program, Harvard University • conversation
June 5, 2025 ~8 min

Physicists observe a new form of magnetism for the first time

The magnetic state offers a new route to “spintronic” memory devices that would be faster and more efficient than their electronic counterparts.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News • mit
June 5, 2025 ~10 min


Study helps pinpoint areas where microplastics will accumulate

Biofilms deposited by living organisms reduce the accumulation of small particles, while areas of bare sand can be microplastics hotspots.

David L. Chandler | MIT News • mit
June 4, 2025 ~6 min

Supreme Court changes the game on federal environmental reviews

For lawyers, industry, advocates and the courts, environmental review after the Eagle County decision is not just a new ballgame. It is a new sport.

J.B. Ruhl, Professor of Law, Director, Program on Law and Innovation, and Co-director, Energy, Environment and Land Use Program, Vanderbilt University • conversation
June 3, 2025 ~11 min

Study shows making hydrogen with soda cans and seawater is scalable and sustainable

The method’s overall carbon emissions are on par with those of other green hydrogen technologies.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News • mit
June 3, 2025 ~8 min

Robots run out of energy long before they run out of work to do − feeding them could change that

Even the best batteries fall far short of animal metabolism for energy storage. Fueling robots with ‘food’ could narrow the gap.

James Pikul, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison • conversation
June 2, 2025 ~9 min

High electricity prices zapping your budget? Here are 5 ways to save

Electricity rates are soaring in Pennsylvania and other parts of the country. 2 energy experts offer tips to lower your monthly bill.

Seth Blumsack, Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics and International Affairs, Penn State • conversation
May 28, 2025 ~9 min

New fuel cell could enable electric aviation

These devices could pack three times as much energy per pound as today’s best EV batteries, offering a lightweight option for powering trucks, planes, or ships.

David L. Chandler | MIT News • mit
May 27, 2025 ~11 min


US solar manufacturers lag skyrocketing market demand

US manufacturers do not produce enough solar panels to meet the nation’s demand, but industry investments and federal tax incentives have been making progress.

Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, Associate Research Scientist, University of Michigan • conversation
May 23, 2025 ~7 min

MIT physicists discover a new type of superconductor that’s also a magnet

The “one-of-a-kind” phenomenon was observed in ordinary graphite.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News • mit
May 22, 2025 ~10 min

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