AI is contributing to a rising demand for electricity – a pressing sustainability challenge. In this first-person account, Prof. Will Chueh says it can also be part of the solution, by accelerating advances and deployment in energy technologies.

A "trilemma" persists for U.S. energy: no single source perfectly balances reliability, affordability, and cleanliness, according to the new report’s chapter on energy. Technologies reviewed include iron-air batteries for long-duration storage, green hydrogen, enhanced geothermal energy, and small modular nuclear reactors.

Researchers have created an ultrathin silver coating for solid electrolytes that increases resistance to cracking, promising breakthroughs in the safety and longevity of lithium metal batteries.