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The Harvard Climate Brief brings Harvard faculty expertise on climate change and sustainability to the wider world. Authors’ views are their own. Republish.

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Energy
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Raphael Kay and Rafiq Omair

Harvesting heat and electricity from the sun, when you need it

A solar harvester developed by Harvard engineers uses simple components to produce warmth on cold days and electricity on hot days, passively toggling between modes as the temperature changes.
Energy
Tue, Mar 24, 2026
data center construction

The data center boom is colliding with the grid’s hardest problems

Rising demand and slow transmission buildouts are squeezing electric bills. A new White House pledge does not change the math, says Harvard Law School’s Ari Peskoe.
Energy
Tue, Mar 17, 2026
offshore wind

The legal weaknesses in Trump’s war on offshore wind

Donald Trump keeps losing in court. He’s battered offshore wind, but his strategy may curb his powers elsewhere.
Energy Law & Policy
Tue, Feb 10, 2026
oil derrick in Venezuela

New tool lets anyone audit a country’s methane claims

Harvard researchers’ open-access software pairs satellite observations with atmospheric modeling. Among the findings: Venezuela’s oil and gas industry might be the world’s filthiest.
Energy Methane
Mon, Jan 12, 2026
roof with solar panels

Germany’s battery boom reframes the energy transition

The country shows how consumers value green tech – with global lessons for utilities and policymakers.
Climate Policy Energy
Tue, Dec 16, 2025
Ferris wheel

Renewables are overlooking opportunity at the county fair

Harvard researchers find fossil fuel logos prevail at fairgrounds, where clean energy firms could build local goodwill.
Energy
Thu, Oct 9, 2025
man with computer servers

How AI can accelerate energy grid expansion and reduce your bill

The same AI models devouring electricity could design smarter grids, tame data-center peak energy demand, and address a looming power shortage.
Energy
Tue, Sep 2, 2025

Solar panels cut CO₂ emissions. Here’s where they make the most difference

A data-driven, time-sensitive estimate of the climate payoff from scaling up solar power gives policymakers a realistic roadmap for meeting emission-reduction goals.
Climate Policy Energy
Thu, Aug 7, 2025

All perspectives expressed in the Harvard Climate Brief are those of the authors and not of Harvard University or the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability. Any errors are the authors’ own. The Harvard Climate Brief is edited by an interdisciplinary team of Harvard faculty.