Abstract
Recent advances in electrification of energy and decarbonization of electricity are promising, but they confirm that the pathway to net zero requires choices in addition to provision of renewable electricity. MIT Global Change Outlook projects a sizeable need for hydrocarbons in the form of liquid and gaseous fuels for sectors such as heavy-duty long-distance transport, high-temperature industrial heat, agriculture, and chemical production. Hydrogen-based fuels remain attractive options, but the challenges related to their scaling opportunities and costs must be resolved. Current interests in small modular reactors and large-scale nuclear facilities, especially for the needs of AI and datacenters, create an important opportunity for further advances in nuclear energy development. Decision-makers looking to lower greenhouse gas emissions must choose from many technology and policy options. Dr. Paltsev from MIT studies the array of technology options, such as electric cars, decarbonizing cement and steel production, sustainable aviation fuels, direct air capture, and policy options, such as carbon pricing, carbon border adjustment mechanisms, and others. He will discuss the economic and climate impacts of energy decisions in different regions of the world.
About the Speaker
Dr. Sergey Paltsev is a Deputy Director of the MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy (CS3) and a Senior Research Scientist at MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA. He is the lead modeler in charge of the MIT Economic Projection and Policy Analysis (EPPA) model of the world economy. Dr. Paltsev is an author of more than 140 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and books in the area of energy economics, climate policy, transport, advanced energy technologies, and international trade. Sergey was a Lead Author of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He is a recipient of the 2012 Pyke Johnson Award (by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, USA, for the best paper in the area of planning and environment).