Skip to main content

Exxon has a plan to capture carbon emissions, then use them to create energy

While countries like Costa Rica get most of their annual energy from renewables, we in the United States still turn to fossil fuels as our primary source of energy — and America’s demand for energy is growing. As such, fossil fuel-fired power plants are the most significant source of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

For years now, oil, coal, and natural gas producers have sought a means to capture and store emissions before they enter the atmosphere. That’s no easy task — but ExxonMobil thinks it may have found a way to reduce power plant pollution by teaming up with a fuel-cell developer, FuelCell Energy, to build a system that traps and stores carbon emissions, while generating electricity in the process.

Recommended Videos

This technology may not immediately save the planet, but it may help, since current attempts to curb carbon emissions aren’t particularly efficient. One common approach is to use amines (ammonia derivatives) to remove carbon from the exhaust that billows out of smokestacks, according to MIT Technology Review. The amine method may be effective, but it’s also expensive, demands additional electricity, and requires power plants to redirect much of their energy to carbon capture and storage.

Rather than amines, FuelCell Energy would employ carbonate fuel cells to trap, concentrate, and deliver carbon dioxide to a storage center. Where the amine-based solution uses a portion of the power plant’s energy, the carbonate fuel cell method actually produces more electricity.

Implementing the carbonate fuel cell method isn’t cheap though. The concentrated carbon transportation pipes and storage centers alone would cost power plants billions of dollars. Meanwhile, Exxon seems enthusiastic, but says its partnership with FuelCell will run for one to two years, in an effort to develop an efficient carbon capturing system. Once the companies reach certain milestones, they’ll begin testing their method in pilot projects before graduating to larger facilities.

The concept has plenty of promise, but don’t hold your breath for this tech to roll out. It’ll likely be a decade before this carbon capture system gets deployed in the real world — if it even happens at all, that is.

Dyllan Furness
Former Contributor
Dyllan Furness is a freelance writer from Florida. He covers strange science and emerging tech for Digital Trends, focusing…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more