MIT News Office: No crystal ball for natural gas

Traditionally, oil prices have been used to gauge the natural gas market; but new research shows that the future of what is currently a cheap fuel is really anyone's guess.

May 23, 2012. Natural gas prices neared the lowest they've been in about a decade this past winter, as utilities scrambled to take advantage of the fuel's low price tag and producers began to turn away from the low-profit fuel. According to new numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the proportion of natural gas used to generate electricity soared to almost 35 percent in February — the highest ever for that month — while production saw its biggest decline in a year. These factors have led some to believe prices will rise again, and soon. Not so fast, say researchers at MIT. Read more >

MIT News Office: Oxygen-separation membranes could aid in CO2 reduction

Ceramic membranes may reduce carbon dioxide emissions from gas and coal-fired powerplants.

May 21, 2012. It may seem counterintuitive, but one way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere may be to produce pure carbon dioxide in powerplants that burn fossil fuels. In this way, greenhouse gases — once isolated within a plant — could be captured and stored in natural reservoirs, deep in the Earth’s crust.

Such “carbon-capture” technology may significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cheap and plentiful energy sources such as coal and natural gas, and help minimize fossil fuels’ contribution to climate change. But extracting carbon dioxide from the rest of a powerplant’s byproducts is now an expensive process requiring huge amounts of energy, special chemicals and extra hardware. Read more >

MIT News Office: Karnik, Parra win DOE Early Career Research Program awards

May 21, 2012. Department of Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Rohit Karnik and Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Felix Parra have been awarded Early Career Research Program grants by the Department of Energy (DOE). Read more >

MIT News Office: L. Rafael Reif selected as MIT’s 17th president

As provost since 2005, the president-elect has inspired innovation and played a critical role in the financial stewardship of the Institute.

L. Rafael Reif

L. Rafael Reif, a distinguished electrical engineer whose seven-year tenure as MIT’s provost has helped MIT maintain its appetite for bold action as well as its firm financial footing, has been selected as the 17th president of the Institute.

Reif, 61, was elected to the post this morning by a vote of the MIT Corporation. He will assume the MIT presidency on July 2. Read more >