MIT Climate Policy Center

MIT Climate Policy Center

@mitclimatepolicy.bsky.social

MIT’s “front door” to evidence-based climate research for local, state, national and international policymakers

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MIT Climate Policy Center
@mitclimatepolicy.bsky.social

“The impact that MIT can have by ‘cooling people, not spaces’ is enormous,” says Professor Christoph Reinhart, faculty lead for The MIT Climate Project’s Critical Cooling initiative. Learn more: news.mit.edu/2026/innovat...

news.mit.eduInnovative projects explore ways to deal with extreme heatFour projects, led by professors Yet-Ming Chiang, Asegun Henry, Kripa Varanasi, and Gang Chen and supported by the MIT Climate Project, explored new approaches to deal with extreme heat, including…
MIT Climate Policy Center
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New from Ask MIT Climate: Which parts of the planet are getting drier? 🌵Prof. Mathew Barlow of UMass Lowell explains why warming air can make droughts and downpours more intense–and why places like the American Southwest, the Middle East, and southwest Asia are becoming more arid.

MIT Climate Policy Center
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MIT researchers have developed a framework that combines fine-scale meteorology with energy infrastructure simulations, showing how climate-informed siting of wind, solar, and transmission projects can help reduce future energy shortfalls. news.mit.edu/2026/energy-...

news.mit.eduFor energy systems that power a reliable grid, the future is all about locationThe location of new energy projects will play a significant role in meeting future demand in a changing climate, MIT researchers report. They created a way to make more climate-informed decisions…
MIT Climate Policy Center
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“The end result is really up to us, and up to policy.” A new study from our Faculty Director Chris Knittel and researchers @mitsloan suggests flexibility in the timing of electricity consumption could lower consumer costs–but what about emissions? Learn more: news.mit.edu/2026/how-dat...

news.mit.eduHow data centers can better manage energy useA new study shows that if data centers move a significant portion of their energy consumption to non-peak hours, it could help lower average energy costs in the U.S. The environmental impact of these…
MIT Climate Policy Center
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When energy prices ⬆️, fuel use falls—but only up to a point. In a @nytimes article, @cwolfram.bsky.social notes that consumers + businesses need gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel even when prices ⬆️ fast. Knowing which demand is flexible, and which isn't, matters for policymakers.

buff.lyAs Oil Prices Spike, Talk of ‘Demand Destruction’ Sets InThe decades-old term refers to the sustained loss of demand for a commodity, caused by high prices.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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As AI drives data center growth, leaders face new❓️s on electricity demand, reliability, costs, & clean energy. @knittelmit.bsky.social discusses the challenges below. MIT research explores how flexible data centers could help💲⬇️, inc. reliability, integrate more clean energy. buff.ly/MnuMu2d

buff.lySustainability & Atlanta’s data center boom - SaportaReportRead Sustainability & Atlanta’s data center boom by Kendall Brown for SaportaReport here.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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As California lawmakers weigh whether to extend Diablo Canyon beyond 2030, new MIT Sloan research finds that keeping the plant online through 2045 could save ratepayers billions while supporting a renewables-dominated grid. Join MIT CEEPR's John Parsons. 📅 June 4 | 🕒 3–4 PM EST 🔗 buff.ly/FiMBZe7

buff.lyWebinar 6/4: The Economics of Keeping Diablo Canyon OnlineAs California lawmakers consider whether to extend Diablo Canyon beyond 2030, join MIT's John Parsons for a discussion of new research assessing the plant's potential impacts on electricity costs, grid reliability, and the state's clean energy transition.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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MA has become the 1st state to recognize a union for Uber & Lyft drivers. CPC Faculty Dir. Chris Knittel notes that while ride-share platforms have created significant value, questions around worker bargaining power remain central to the policy debate. More here:

cbsnews.comMassachusetts rideshare drivers become first in U.S. to unionizeRideshare drivers in Massachusetts have officially made history by becoming the first in the U.S. to unionize.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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New MIT research from Jessika Trancik & @MIT shows: • EVs already cut emissions for most U.S. drivers • Many drivers also save money over time • Power systems matter for climate outcomes Policy design will shape the future of transportation decarbonization. #ClimatePolicy #EVs buff.ly/X1OYo2t

news.mit.eduFor most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savingsIn most U.S. zip codes, electric vehicles are cost-competitive with their gas-powered counterparts, according to a new study. And regarding emissions benefits of EVs, individual driving patterns…
MIT Climate Policy Center
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New MIT analysis from Pablo Dueñas-Martínez, at MITEI: • Blackouts often stem from cascading failures • AI & electrification are ⬆️ grid pressure • Clean energy transitions req. resilience investment #ClimatePolicy #GridReliability

news.mit.edu3 Questions: Shedding light on why power grids go darkPablo Duenas-Martinez, an MIT Energy Initiative research scientist, describes the events leading up to the voltage spike that caused the unprecedented, widespread power outage on the Iberian…
MIT Climate Policy Center
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Congrats to MIT Sloan Professor @cwolfram.bsky.social on her election to the Nat'l Academy of Sciences. A close partner of the CPC, Catherine’s work helps shape global climate policy, incl. through the Global Climate Policy Project, a CPC flagship initiative. #ClimatePolicy buff.ly/nqNsm9O

lnkd.inMIT affiliates elected to National Academy of Sciences for 2026Six MIT faculty, along with 10 additional alumni, are recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to research in the natural and social sciences.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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“We should welcome the demand destruction we’re seeing,” says Catherine Wolfram on oil markets. What’s demand destruction? Prices ⬆️, people use less. That reduced consumption helps balance oil markets. Her concern: people who can’t cut back, like commuters paying more at the pump.

marketplace.orgChecking in on demand destruction, 9 weeks into the warCatherine Wolfram, professor of energy economics at MIT Sloan School of Management, talks about how demand destruction actually helps balance the oil market.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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Florian Kapmeier, Juliette Rooney-Varga & Lucia Cheney will present new research on how interactive simulations (co-dev'd by @climateinteractive.org + MIT Sloan) drive climate action at #EGU26! May 4, 2026: 16:45–16:55 CEST Session EOS4.1 Austria Center Vienna - Room D3 Register: buff.ly/oMrmAUK

egu26.euEGU26 - RegistrationMultiple terms: term1 term2 red apples returns results with all terms like: Fructose levels in red and green apples
MIT Climate Policy Center
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@cwolfram.bsky.social says that U.S. price caps on gas don’t fix supply, and could backfire. By lowering prices, they may boost demand and push global oil prices even higher. Energy markets are global. Ignore that, and policy can worsen the problem.

marketplace.orgSome countries are capping gas prices. Here's why the U.S. is unlikely toAs the war in Iran pushes oil prices higher, some governments are shielding consumers with price controls. But economists warn that caps mask scarcity signals and can trigger the kind of panic buying that can even drive up oil prices more.
MIT Climate Policy Center
@mitclimatepolicy.bsky.social

Climate policy is an affordability issue, with climate change *already* costing avg. U.S. households $900/yr. 10% of counties pay even more. Costs exceed $110B/year across the country, hit lower-income households hardest, and drive up housing. New op-ed from MIT CPC + UCLA.

buff.ly$900 a year: That's how much climate change costs the average US householdClimate change costs include higher home insurance bills, disaster recovery costs in the form of higher taxes and health damages from wildfire smoke and extreme weather. "In short, climate inaction…
MIT Climate Policy Center
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Rising fuel prices are pushing adoption of EVs, heat pumps, and more. As Christopher Knittel notes: supply shocks raise global oil prices, "those increases trickle down to gasoline." For policymakers: shocks can drive change, but only with lasting policy. #ClimatePolicy #EnergyTransition

bloomberg.comIran War Is Pushing Consumers to Break Up With Fossil FuelsEVs, solar panels, induction stoves and heat pumps, now cheaper than ever, are becoming more attractive as the conflict upends oil and gas markets.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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New research co-authored by Christopher Knittel shows aircraft noise affects property values. What policymakers should consider: -flight routes & runway design shape neighborhood impacts -housing markets reveal real preferences -efficiency gains ≠ free; noise costs matter, too

mitsloan.mit.eduAircraft noise impacts home values, new data shows | MIT SloanHere’s how aircraft noise at major airports in Boston, Chicago, and Seattle affected housing prices.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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Can the grid keep up with home electrification? New work from Christoph Reinhart explores how to cut emissions w/o straining the grid. Focus: -lower demand (insulation, hybrid heating, smart EV charging) -plan buildings + grid together -reduce need for new grid infrastructure

energy.mit.eduMITEI’s Future Energy Systems Center starts six new research projects to enable a decarbonized futureThe MIT Energy Initiative’s (MITEI) Future Energy Systems Center will fund six new projects, with topics ranging from sodium-metal batteries to co-designing low-carbon power plants. The selected…
MIT Climate Policy Center
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If conflict is in the MidEast, & the U.S. exports oil, why are gas prices rising? Christopher Knittel explains: "Supply disruption raises prices for every barrel globally." Oil markets = interconnected, exporters aren't immune. Price shocks ripple worldwide, hitting gasoline fast.

nytimes.comAmerica Is an Oil Exporter. Why Does a Mideast War Raise U.S. Gas Prices?The U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran have intensified and the conflict has widened, shaking global energy markets.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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What gets leaders to act on climate? In our study of 949 decision-makers, hands-on simulation En-ROADS didn't just inform, it shifted priorities. Leaders got better at spotting high-impact solutions and felt more able to drive change. Experience might be the key. buff.ly/K7BIkAP

mitsloan.mit.eduInteractive simulation motivates climate action at the top | MIT SloanNew research by MIT Sloan finds that leaders who participate in engagements using an interactive climate policy simulator, En-ROADS, demonstrated a stronger understanding of climate solutions.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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Christopher Knittel says academic research found the Jones Act added ~1.5¢ per gallon to gasoline prices. “It’s not a huge number, but adds up given how much gasoline we consume.” A good example of why rigorous, policy-relevant research matters in energy debates. #EnergyPolicy

buff.lyU.S. Suspends Oil Shipping Rules to Ease Gas Price PressuresThe Jones Act dictates that only U.S.-made ships can move cargo between U.S. ports. They charge customers more for shipping than foreign vessels.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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Fuel prices are hitting Americans hard. Christopher Knittel warns a prolonged Iranian conflict could push the U.S. toward recession—“above a 50% chance.” Chris is an energy & climate economist, directing research at MIT CEEPR & the CPC.

buff.lyFuel price hike hits Americans' pocketbooksHigh fuel prices caused by the conflict in Iran threaten to worsen affordability issues that ordinary Americans face — and some economists are warning that a prolonged conflict could pull the U.S. into a recession.
MIT Climate Policy Center
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New @BostonGlobe op-ed on rooftop solar + electric bills: buff.ly/3X15cuM Chris Knittel & Fischer Argosino explain why rate design matters for both affordability + decarbonization. These questions are front + center in Massachusetts DPU docket 25-200 and we're glad to be part of the conversation.

buff.lyWhy rooftop solar in Mass. is flawed, and how to fix it - The Boston GlobeIt turns a climate solution into a burden for residents without solar, raising their electric bills.