Welcome to the 2025 edition of the EMS Energy Institute (EI) magazine. This edition showcases faculty research in several topical areas, features events and updates around the institute, and highlights the honors received by our faculty.
Featured Stories
Mining byproduct offers promise in push for critical minerals
On the eastern edge of the Penn State University Park campus, a noxious byproduct of mining in the...
Alliance positions Penn State as leader in silicon carbide
Nearly as hard as diamonds, silicon carbide (SiC) is core to many applications requiring high power and...
Plastics, fossil-fuel infrastructure seeing prospects for new uses
As technology helps enable transitions in the energy industry, the broad area of fossil fuels is rife with potential...
CO₂-SMART unites researchers around carbon dioxide storage
Positioned to foster industrial decarbonization at scale, a new center funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation is developing...
Energy systems targeted for better outcomes, public awareness
Mostly invisible in daily life, regional transmission organizations (RTOs) form the logistical backbone...
All-hands sensibility underpins Energy Institute approach
An analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA) last November was clear. Global demand for electricity will surge faster than...
Research Updates
Better longevity, durability sought for next-generation solar cells
Even as solar power takes off—accounting for most new capacity added to U.S. electric grids in 2024...
As plastics demand soars, faculty research promises lighter impacts
As staples of modern life, plastics count few peers in sheer use...
Studies targeting emissions insight and tighter wells
As part of its comprehensive approach, the EMS Energy Institute supports new efficiencies and discoveries...
Around the Institute
Energy Innovation is an annual publication from the EMS Energy Institute in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. The EMS Energy Institute is a leading research and development organization focused on energy science and engineering.
Front cover image: Photo of a "SiC Crown" that forms during the growth process. It is the transition layer between the source material (bottom of crucible) and the single crystal SiC (top of crucible). As the growth continues, the crown will grow and then shrink as the SiC vapors move from bottom to top. This growth shown in this photo was stopped about one-third of the way through, which is why the crown is so large. It is normally five times smaller, or even non-existent.
Credit: David Kubarek
Director: Sanjay Srinivasan
Writer/Editor: Adam Smeltz
Graphic Designer: Jeralyn Brewer
Other contributors: Patricia Craig, David Kubarek, and Courtney Robinson
