Powering up for a pivotal moment

MIT's Energy Initiative held its annual research conference on Sept. 22-23, themed "Transitioning energy at a pivotal moment," drawing more than 200 attendees to discuss waste carbon utilization, public trust in AI and data centers, and quantum tools for critical applications. Speakers including Paula Hammond and Eric Toone addressed deploying current decarbonization technologies and early-stage research, while sessions on AI data centers covered rising power demand and the need for developers to earn community acceptance "at the speed of trust."